The Denver mayoral debate hosted by 9News tonight excludes the four candidates refusing taxpayer money to fund their campaign, which not so coincidently includes the only Republican in a race of 17 candidates.
There’s nothing in the rules that says candidates must take tax dollars from the so-called “Fair Election Fund” to participate in debates sanctioned by the fund.
That was just 9News’ excuse when confronted as to why they excluded Andy Rougeot from the debate, which came on the heels of a hit piece by the station’s Democrat operative, Kyle Clark.
The other three candidates not taking taxpayer dollars will also be excluded from Thursday’s debate, including Renate Behrens, Al Gardner and Robert Treta.
Appearing on Jimmy Sengenberger’s 710KNUS radio show, Rougeot called out the Fair Elections Fund and said the money is being abused in some cases.
“That system is not what the citizens of Denver thought it was gonna be when they approved it.”
Since Republicans are being denied access to see and hear what the lone Republican in a field of 17 candidates has to say, they should check out this Denver Gazete feature article on him today.
Because the Republican base in Denver will likely line up behind him, there’s every likelihood Rougeot will make the June runoff on his platform of law and order and public accountability.
He is one of the few candidates that supports enforcing the urban camping ban, wants to expand Denver’s police force and believes he is the best candidate to “fight for Denver’s future.”
Rougeot doesn’t think his party affiliation matters. Denverites are fed up with Denver’s conditions and years of empty promises, he said.
“They do not want another politician who will make promise after promise, who’s maybe been doing that for 30 years, and not actually get things done,” he said. “(Denver voters) do not care about the political background of the person if they can credibly promise to deliver for Denver.”
Sengenberger points out that Rougeot runs second in fundraising behind former Denver Chamber CEO Kelly Brough, and ahead of state Rep. Leslie Herod.
Notably, Brough and Herod have successfully tapped into their networks as only privileged, well-established candidates can do — garnering nearly $760,000 between the two of them.
Sengenberger goes on to report in his Colorado Politics column:
Denver’s Fair Elections Fund lacks sufficient controls, empowering candidates to use taxpayer dollars to pay consultants or attorneys.
Herod, for example, has now paid $20,500 in taxpayer dollars to the law firm of experienced election attorney Mario Nicolais, KBN Law, LLC. She has successfully weaponized the fund to target a tiny citizens group founded and run by political neophytes who advocate for cleaning up Denver’s urban squalor. As I recently exposed in the Denver Gazette, Nicolais prosecuted campaign finance complaints against the grassroots organization, Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver, simply because the group had criticized Herod online.
9 News will certainly benefit from the ad dollars and free publicity for hosting one of two debates mandated by the public fund operators, so the reporters seem to have zero incentive to report on fund abuses, and it shows.