Debunking conspiracies and disinformation has been a specialty of the Colorado Times Recorder since our launch nine years ago. As our denier-in-chief continues to push election fraud conspiracies from the White House, he’s created a permission structure for his supporters across the country, including many here in Colorado, to do the same.
In 2025, CTR continued to debunk the disinformation. Here’s a look at some of our coverage throughout the year.
Reporter Jamie O’Rourke profiled one of Colorado’s many homegrown conspiracists, Mark Cook of Jefferson County, who spends his days driving around the country in an RV, trying to convince county officials in conservative rural counties to revert to hand-counting their elections, often in defiance of state law.
Election Deniers With Colorado Connections Speak at CPAC
In late February, Washington, D.C., reporter Maria Tedesco, reporting from the nation’s largest conservative conference, spoke with two prominent election deniers, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, and former CU Visiting Professor turned Trump attorney John Eastman, who has since been disbarred.
Election Deniers Celebrate Dept. of Justice Intervention in Tina Peters’ Bail Request
Election-denying Republicans in Colorado and elsewhere celebrated the Department of Justice’s intervention on behalf of Tina Peters’ attempt to get out of prison. Former Douglas County Clerk Merlin Klotz revealed via Facebook that MyPillow CEO had spoken with President Trump on Peters’ behalf, which Lindell confirmed in an interview. Asked if its intervention had been ordered by either Bondi or Trump, a spokesperson for the DOJ declined to comment.
From the Courtroom to the Comments Section, Controversy Follows Tina Peters
Imprisoned ex-clerk Tina Peters continues to serve as both the conspiracy movement’s martyr, and its grifters’ best fundraising figure. Deputy Editor Erik Maulbetsch covered the squabbles between various factions of the fake election fraud online industry, including Mike Lindell, Joe Oltmann, Sherronna Bishop and even Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s mom.
Douglas County Clerk Cancels Appearance With Election Deniers Following CTR Inquiry
Following an inquiry by the Colorado Times Recorder, a spokesperson for Douglas County Clerk Sheri Davis said she is no longer scheduled to appear alongside two election deniers at a private meeting of the Parker Conservatives next week. Her office did not respond to CTR’s inquiries as to who invited her to speak, and whether she had any concerns about agreeing to appear with Cook and Smith. The three were going to discuss elections at the group’s May meeting, which was described as a “private event exclusively reserved for members, affiliates, and guests of the conservative community.
Salem Media Apologizes and Issues Retraction Over Election Denier Promotion. Again.
In June, Sean Beedle broke the news that Salem Media, the national broadcasting company focused on Christian and conservative content that owns several Colorado stations, including 710 KNUS, issued an undated apology to former Dominion Voting Systems executive Eric Coomer. Coomer filed a defamation lawsuit against former KNUS host and current Republican National Committeeman Randy Corporon and conservative broadcaster Salem Media Group in 2021 over Corporon’s platforming of election conspiracist Joe Oltmann.
Voting Fraud Conspiracists Hold Official Positions on Local Election Commissions
Election deniers remain in positions of authority on election commissions in multiple Front Range cities and towns. In Castle Rock, the chair of the Castle Rock Election Commission is using his public position to undermine Colorado’s elections by promoting debunked election fraud conspiracy theories.
In Aurora, conservative activist Lori Gimelshteyn, who has been a member of the Aurora Election Commission since 2022, recently appeared on election fraud conspiracist Joe Oltmann’s podcast, where she agreed with his claims that Aurora’s elections are “totally fraudulent” and that Danielle Jurinsky did not actually lose her race.
