A judge Friday moved to block plans for a Colorado GOP meeting where critics of embattled state Chairman Dave Williams intended to vote on his ouster.
Arapahoe County District Court Judge Thomas W. Henderson issued a temporary restraining order barring a meeting scheduled for Saturday morning at a church in Brighton from taking place.
Henderson said in his ruling “the leadership of the Colorado Republican Party would be called into question, leaving the party in disarray roughly 100 days before election day on Nov. 5, 2024.”
Organizers of the meeting say they’ll still meet, but for a rally and an opportunity for candidates to replace Williams to address other Republicans.
“Make no mistake, we will repair and heal our state party…together,” wrote Todd Watkins, one of the organizers and a defendant in the lawsuit in an email. “We will respect the judge’s order and not risk entangling any of you by conducting a meeting.”
The ruling came as six of the state’s Republican congressional candidates said Williams should step down as party leader, and as U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert suggested in a Facebook post that Williams should go.
Context from further in the article: Williams came under fire initially for his lackluster fundraising and because he worked as a full-time aide to a state lawmaker while leading the state Republican party. The criticism only intensified as he mounted an unsuccessful run for Congress.
When U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, announced in January that he would step aside, Williams used the state party email to announce that he would run for the 5th Congressional District seat in El Paso County.
Williams has rejected calls to step down as party chairman, and spent party money in late February to criticize his opponent, conservative commentator and activist Jeff Crank, among others. In April, Williams had a Colorado Sun reporter tossed out of the state party assembly.
For the first time in recent memory, if not ever, the Colorado GOP endorsed candidates in competitive primary elections, drawing anger from many in the party. Of the 18 candidates endorsed by the party, only four won their contests.
Ah so the guy is using his position to spend GOP money and harm other GOP members.
Of course they’d give a shit when it impacts themselves.