Colorado targeted for ‘election integrity’ monitoring ahead of June primary, records show

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Election in Colorado
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(Colorado Newsline)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security flagged Colorado as a state to monitor for “vulnerabilities in upholding election integrity” ahead of the June primary this year, according to internal documents obtained through a records request and released by a pro-democracy group earlier this month.

Colorado was one of 15 states flagged by Homeland Security Investigations to watch, a June 1 document from the agency’s Election Integrity Investigations shows. The states were a mix of Republican- and Democrat-led, and there is no explanation in the documents for why they were chosen.

The Colorado secretary of state’s office was not aware the state was being monitored, spokesperson Jack Todd said.

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Closeup of a hand using chalk to write the words "Election Results" on a chalkboard
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“Trump’s federal government has moved from partnership with election officials to suspicion and hostility,” he wrote in an email. “We will continue to ensure voters have their voices heard and stand up against any federal interference.”

The document was contained in a trove of records released by the left-leaning nonprofit Democracy Forward. It detailed scrutiny into nonprofit organizations involved in voter registration — none of which are in Colorado — and it described the potential for undercover operations to find organizations “suspected of illegal alien registration and voter encouragement.” It then lists the 15 states that the Cross-Border Financial Crime Center within Homeland Security Investigations planned to analyze ahead of the primary elections.

The records spotlight the Trump administration’s focus on finding noncitizen voters as the midterm election approaches. Studies and government audits have consistently shown that voter fraud by noncitizens is extremely rare.

“If an organization is found to be actively recruiting illegal aliens for voter registration, (undercover) assets may be used to gather evidence, disrupt activities, and trace financial backing and support structures,” the document reads. “These efforts will support broader investigative and enforcement actions, leveraging UC findings to initiate prosecutions and dismantle illicit facilitation networks.”

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Miniature ballot box with and image of the Colorado state flag on a red background with slips of paper representing ballots

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The report also claims that Heather Honey, a 2020 election denier and DHS official, obtained 48.4 million records through “independent sources of information.” The agency also drew upon 50.6 million records from the Department of Justice, but it’s not clear what any of those records are.

The records release also includes a letter from Todd Lyons, the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to Secretary of State Jena Griswold stating that there is “no reason” for ICE officers to be at polling locations. It was a response to a March inquiry from Griswold.

“However, ICE Homeland Security Investigations plays an important role in investigating voter fraud, and will continue to perform this vital mission,” the letter reads.