Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eli Bremer has denounced Joe Oltmann, a prominent Colorado election fraud conspiracy theorist, for saying he wanted to hang Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) and execute other politicians.
“Joe Oltmann has become highly influential in the Colorado Republican ecosystem,” Bremer said in a press release Monday. “He is a charismatic leader who preys on the concerns of many well-meaning conservatives who are unaware of his dark intentions. Calling for mass execution of political opponents is so far across the line of any acceptable behavior that it must not be tolerated or go unaddressed.”
Oltmann made the comments to the co-host of his podcast, Conservative Daily, last week. He repeatedly emphasized to his co-host that he was being serious.
“I want to hang them from the neck till they’re dead,” Oltmann said, referencing Polis, Democratic politicians, and Republicans who voted with Democrats on an 11-week stopgap spending bill last week.
Bremer said the comments were unacceptable and that he would not attend events affiliated with Oltmann or where Oltmann would be featured as a speaker. Bremer called on other Colorado Republican Senate candidates to do the same.
“While there may be some policy disagreements between the various candidates, I believe we must all agree as good Republicans and human beings that clear threats of domestic terrorism have no place in the Republican Party,” Bremer said.
Kristi Burton Brown, chair of the Colorado Republican Party, Tweeted that she agreed with Bremer denouncing Oltmann, although did not mention Oltmann by name in her Tweet.
“Republicans are the party of law and order,” Burton Brown Tweeted. “And no outside organization or its leader speaks for us. We speak for ourselves.”
Agree with @elibremer on this. Republicans are the party of law and order. And no outside organization or its leader speaks for us. We speak for ourselves. #copolitics https://t.co/c7YKpYEIuy
— Kristi Burton Brown (@ColoradoKbb) December 14, 2021
Colorado Democratic Party spokesperson Nico Delgado pointed out that while Bremer is getting credit for denouncing Oltmann, he has not condemned Donald Trump for his role in inciting the capitol riots on January 6.
“Bremer can’t have his cake and eat it too,” Delgado said. “Choosing to condemn Oltmann for violent speech is only a half-hearted political stunt until Bremer musters up the courage to denounce Trump for inciting a deadly insurrection and fellow candidate Ron Hanks for attending it and crossing police lines.”
Bremer worked on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 and has pushed election fraud conspiracy theories concerning the 2020 election.
Oltmann is the founder of FEC United, a far-right-wing organization with a militia wing. FEC United regularly pushes election fraud conspiracy theories, organized the fatal ‘Patriot Muster’ rally last year, and is connected to the militia group United American Defense Force (UADF) which is known for inciting violence and packing school board meetings.
Last week an article in the Denver Post outlined the connections between Oltmann, FEC United, and Kristi Burton Brown, the chair of Colorado’s Republican Party. Burton Brown was in a leadership role for FEC United last year and Oltmann said she was instrumental in the group’s work.
RELATED: CO Republican Candidates Join Together in Promoting Election Conspiracies
In a Telegram response to the article, Oltmann argued that FEC United is not affiliated with the militia UADF and that the group did not organize the ‘Patriot Muster’ rally, despite reporting, including from the Colorado Times Recorder, proving otherwise.
“Well… I did not expect the truth, but I did expect a call asking for input or a comment,” Oltmann said in a Telegram post, which was obtained through a source. “With that said, Kristi Burton Brown is exactly why people in the community do not trust the GOP. The mission of FEC has never changed and it is the GOP’s weak and ineffectual leadership who adopt the radical leftist rhetoric as truth that destroys confidence and trust in a party that betrays the people of our nation as much or more than the radical Democrats. At least the radical Democrats are honest about wanting to destroy the nation. At least they show themselves as what they are.”
In the post, Oltmann did not apologize for his comments hoping to hold a mass execution for politicians.
“Oh, and if you don’t like the part about hanging traitors for treason, change the law because that is the consequence for such crimes,” Oltmann said. “The election was stolen, and the evidence is overwhelming. These people are trying to convince you the devil does not exist while they literally try and steal the soul of our nation. They cannot stop what is coming as we know, God wins in the end.”
Oltmann did not respond to requests for comment on Bremer’s denouncement. This story will be updated with a response if one is provided.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated with statements from Colorado’s Democratic and Republican parties.