Griswold’s latest mistake will force him to leave | Jimmy Sengenberger | Idea

On Tuesday, Coloradans learned that secure BIOS passwords for hundreds of election computers in 63 of 64 counties were leaked via the secretary of state’s website; buried in a spreadsheet of sensitive passwords and waited for everyone to click “reveal.”

And this isn’t just a one-time mistake; This is part of a six-year history of gaffes and broken promises under Secretary Jena Griswold’s watch.

The document was available online for months before Griswold’s office removed it. The Colorado GOP, not Griswold, brought this to light. Asked on 9News if he planned to inform the public, the Democrat refrained. His office “had not made that decision.”

Come on Jena: When the current Colorado GOP leadership notifies you of a security failure in your office, you know you’ve made a big mistake. This gives the impression of a cover-up.

Leading Republicans are calling for Griswold to resign. Rep. Lauren Boebert accused him of “spending more time promoting himself for a future failed term as governor” than doing his job. “He should resign.” House GOP Leader Rose Pugliese added: “Enough with his incompetence. The people of Colorado deserve better.” It definitely is.

Griswold dismissed this, saying there was “no serious threat to our elections” and “there is no evidence” that the equipment was compromised. While this may seem true, the violation of trust and state election rules is extraordinary, and Griswold claims to have always been a stickler for following the rules.

In 2021, when Mesa County’s BIOS passwords were leaked by then-Clerk Tina Peters, who spent nine years behind bars, Griswold called the leak of a single password a “serious breach.” Now that the shoe is on the other foot, shouldn’t the same standard apply to him/her?

He rushed to the cameras for a news conference last week and hastily claimed that election integrity had been won. Twelve fraudulent mail-in ballots were intercepted by others and voted illegally in Mesa County. Nine ballots were captured as the system was designed, but three were missed and later counted by a reassigned election judge due to human error.

Mesa Clerk Bobbie Gross’ disappointment was palpable. “While we understand the Secretary of State’s desire to make a public statement, this is our community and our investigation,” Gross warned, noting that “revealing details prematurely” could hinder investigators and justice.

This behavior, taking praise when it suits him, and remaining silent when it doesn’t suit him, is Griswold’s classic behavior. This is the latest in a tapestry of failures, hyperpartisanship and an insincere public image.

Griswold’s brand-building process started early. When he took office in 2019, he promised to ensure “everyone can truly trust our system.”

But he quickly replaced his entire leadership team with partisan Democrats. In 13 months they are already gone; which sparked what his first legislative representative called a “200% turnover.” The instability was unprecedented. His six predecessors all had two assistant secretaries for 20 years; Griswold ranks No. 3 in just six years.

In 2019, he announced a symbolic staff travel boycott of Alabama to protest abortion laws and coordinated it with Planned Parenthood, a Griswold donor.

The following year, he used federal pandemic relief funds for a D.C. PR firm to shamelessly promote himself under the guise of “voter education.” He also signed a secret agreement with former Deputy Minister Jenny Flanagan that included a non-speaking order and written speaking matters.

During the 2020 election, Griswold sued the U.S. Postal Service over a mailer advising voters to plan ahead for mail-in ballots, claiming there was somehow “voter suppression,” and evoking American tragedies like racially charged poll tests and poll taxes. The lawsuit didn’t help Colorado voters, but it sparked national drama over Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Democratic target.

Image over integrity: Jena Griswold.

As chairman of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State in 2021, he became a key player in a dark money network that funneled millions of people across the country, including his own, into Democratic campaigns. The association personally benefited Griswold’s railing against “dark money” by referring thousands of people to his brother’s public relations firm, Hilltop Solutions.

In 2022, Griswold’s office sent voter registration postcards to 30,000 noncitizens for the second time since 2020, dismissing it as a “data error.” His office also sent ballot reminders to voters who had already voted, leaving it to county clerks to clean up the mess.

Let’s be real: Griswold’s repeated mistakes are not one-offs. These reflect a deep-seated pattern of dysfunction, self-assertion, and inadequacy.

Griswold has already cycled through at least three deputy secretaries of state, four chiefs of staff, and three communications directors and legislative chiefs; This is a staggering staff turnover that is a recipe for poor management. As I reported in April, his office paid $120,000 in 2023 to resolve a racial discrimination claim involving a career employee.

Griswold is a fixture on MSNBC and is billed as a “voting rights” hero fighting Trump’s “Big Lie.” He defended a failed attempt to block him from the ballot in Colorado.

However, “The Griswold Story” is pure fiction; an undeserved reputation supported by the national media and Colorado Democrats.

Password breach is no exception; This is the rule. Every mistake, every partisan action, and every rash press incident undermines confidence in Colorado elections, no matter how secure, and proves that he is not the secretary of state.

In reality, Griswold is a hyper-partisan operative and a documented failure whose history of unethical behavior and staggering incompetence has consistently undermined his commitment to election security and his duty to the county clerks.

You don’t have to be an “election denier” to see the truth: Jena Griswold should resign.

Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, speaker and longtime local radio show host. Reach Jimmy online at: jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter.