Colorado GOP Election Head 'Retires' Due to Massive Bribe

[Ichingcarpenter]

Colorado elections director resigns amid inquiry

The abrupt resignation Thursday of a top elections official at the secretary of state's office happened in the midst of a watchdog group's investigation into her relationship with a local businessman who has contracts with that office.

Holly Lowder, 66, resigned from her post as elections director two months before what is expected to be one of the biggest elections in recent Colorado history. She held that job since 2006. Before that, Lowder served as Alamosa County clerk for about 25 years.

Colorado Ethics Watch had been pursuing documents from the state regarding Lowder's ties to John Paulsen.

Paulsen, 59, operates a software company called LEDS, LLC from his home in Castle Rock, records show. LEDS has installed voter databases in more than 30 counties and recently got two contracts worth almost $184,000 with the secretary of state's office for data work related to the current election season.

Records show that Lowder recently lived at a Cherokee Street home in Denver that is owned by Paulsen.

Chantell Taylor, director of Ethics Watch, called Lowder's resignation "no coincidence."

"It is entirely unbelievable that Ms. Lowder just happened to choose to retire - abruptly and without transitioning her successor - just months away from a major election and on the day Ethics Watch's (open records request) responses are due relating to an investigation of Mr. Paulsen's relationship with the secretary of state's office," she said.>>>>>snip

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/sep/06/colorado-elections-director-resigns-amid-inquiry/?partner=RSS

[nc4bo]

1. oh my! nt

[LonelyLRLiberal]

2. Colorado SOS (Elections Director's boss) is a rabid Republican and is running for Congress .

SOS's wife, a lawyer, worked for a RW Republican governor of Colorado.


See kpete's thread on this in Greatest:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x507633

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. This is why we may win Colorado but need to remain vigilant

over our elections. Hopefully this will help.

[FreakinDJ]

3. Here comes the "Election Fraud"

sounds like they rigged Colorado

[99th_Monkey]

8. Colorado has a Dem governor, who needs to intervene IMHO.

cuz the Sec. of State (in charge of elections) is Mike Coffman, a Rethuglican running for US Senate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Coffman
http://www.coffmanforcongress.com/

[Hawkeye-X]

9. Yup. Ritter needs to do something about it.

I'd be NOT surprised if Coffman rigs his own election to win the US Rep (not US Senate - that's Big Oil Bob Schaeffer) for District #6 (Xenophobic's district)

Hawkeye-X

[99th_Monkey]

11. thanks for the correction... yes. US Congress. ~nt~

[AndyTiedye]

5. K/R!!

:kick:

[kansasblue]

6. Election fraud watch. see www.bradblog.com for more. rec #5

[99th_Monkey]

7. Awesome that this happened BEFORE the election. One less GOP vote-buggering mole in the works. ~nt~

[...of J.Temperance]

10. Can the Colorado Governor make his own appointment to SoS?

Or not?

It's the SoS office where the hanky-panky takes place, we saw that with Katherine Harris in Florida and Kenneth Blackwell in Ohio.

[BlueIdaho]

12. Misdirection

What about LED's software? How could it effect vote counting? If so - can an injunction stop the software from being used?