A conference in Denver this weekend featuring right-wing Republicans, conservative leaders, and election conspiracists, lists prominent corporations as sponsors, including Google, Microsoft, and the Coca-Cola Company.
The June 20-22 Women’s Public Leadership Network (WPLN) “National Summit” in Denver promotes itself as bringing “together women from every stage of their political journeys to hear from experts on policy and campaigns so that they are better equipped to lead in their communities.”
But the political journeys, experts, policies, and campaigns featured at the conference reflect a Republican, conservative, and conspiracy-minded agenda — with little or no content from Democrats or progressives.
The list of speakers includes current and former elected officials, all of whom are Republicans. They include: Heidi Ganahl, an election denier and failed 2022 GOP Colorado gubernatorial candidate; Rose Pugliese, Colorado’s Republican House minority leader; New Mexico state Sen. Crystal Diamond Brantley; Montana GOP state Rep. Courtenay Sprunger; U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL), who refused to certify the 2020 presidential election; Republican Rebecca Kleefisch, former Wisconsin lieutenant governor; Republican Libby Szabo, a former Colorado state representative; and former U.S. Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA), who is the honorary board chair of the WPLN.
Campaign operatives included these Republicans: Alison Williams, former campaign manager for Presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson, and Olivia Perez-Cubas, former spokesperson for the Nikki Haley campaign.
Two speakers represent the Libre Initiative, a conservative group. Another is from the conservative Coors Foundation. Another is from a PR firm founded by a former spokeswoman for Republicans.
On its contact page, the WPLN lists “running for office” as the top offering in its list of “specific interests” of those contacting the organization.
“We provide women with the knowledge and resources to make running for elected office and engaging in the political process more accessible,” states the contact page.
Press contacts from the Coca-Cola Company, Google, and Microsoft did not return emails seeking to know if they were aware of the conference’s rightward lean. WPLN didn’t return an email asking whether it informed its corporate sponsors of the conference’s conservative content.
