Federal Hands Off Our Ballots

The Denver Post reports that a man allegedly tied to the Trump administration has been making waves in Colorado’s election offices, talking shop with county clerks and accessing voting machine info. The character? John Small. No title, no clear role, but walking around like he’s got FBI clearance and Jesus on speed dial.

Trump speaks of election integrity and accountability – I am for that. But I am against the feds sticking their nose in a County Clerk and Recorder’s office. Local control is local control, regardless of who may be at the federal helm.

The Bullet Point Brief

• Someone named John Small is shaking hands and attempting to access vote systems in Colorado election offices—claiming White House ties.
• Clerks across party lines are raising eyebrows—and hackles. Even GOP officials are wary.
• Secretary of State Jena Griswold—yes, she of perpetual dysfunction—is ironically the lesser evil compared to federal interference.
• If this were a Biden stunt, folks would be torching Twitter. So yes, principle over party matters. Always.
• The same people who cheered Tina Peters’ prosecution are now turning a blind eye to fed shenanigans? Hell no.

My Bottom Line

OK listen—I’m no card-carrying member of the Jena Griswold Fan Club. Frankly, her tenure as Colorado’s Secretary of State has been about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. But here’s the stickier truth: I’d still rather have her running state elections than some unelected fed creep swaggering in like he’s running Mission: Insurrection Part II. Elections belong to the states—period, hard stop, get off my lawn.

This John Small character (and in the interest of full disclosure, I know him)—self-proclaimed federal emissary or whatever badge he’s waving around—is walking into Colorado counties like he owns the place. Newsflash: he doesn’t. And I don’t give a rip who sent him—Biden, Trump, or Elvis Presley rising from the grave—it’s wrong. I supported Trump because I believe in law and order and accountability. What I didn’t vote for was some rogue operator sniffing around state-managed ballots like it’s an episode of Homeland.

If El Paso County Clerk Steve Schleiker gets it right—and boy howdy does he ever—we need to be consistent. You can’t blast Tina Peters for touching voting machines and then roll out the red carpet when your guy does it in loafers and a blazer. Right is right and wrong is wrong—even when it wears your team’s jersey. This ain’t about being anti-Trump or pro-Griswold; it’s about not letting Uncle Sam jam his fingers into something that clearly belongs at the state level.

Let this serve as yet another warning shot: federalizing our elections is radioactive nonsense no matter who pulls the trigger.