The Colorado Sun originally published this story at 5:41 PM on Apr 6, 2024.
A Colorado Sun politics reporter was escorted out of the state GOP assembly by a sheriff’s deputy Saturday after being told that party Chairman Dave Williams found her “current reporting to be very unfair.”
Reporter Sandra Fish, who has covered politics since 1982, received a text at 3:45 a.m. Saturday from a Colorado Republican Party event organizer saying that she was no longer allowed to attend. Fish went anyway to the assembly at the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, where she checked in at the door and received a press credential to enter.
About an hour later, she was told to leave.
Fish initially refused but was later escorted out by a law enforcement officer, who told her, “You have to be invited here. They don’t want you here. We have to get you out of here,” according toa video of the scene taken by other journalists.
In the past year, Fish has written news articles about the 2023 election of Williams to lead the state party, as well as stories about the party’s financial struggles. In February, she authored a Sun articleabout the state GOP sending a pro-Donald Trump mailer that attacked William’s congressional primary opponent, calling it “the latest example of Williams using his party leadership position to benefit or defend himself and his allies.” Williams is running to replace U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District.
Williams was elected as party chairman on a platform that included falsely insisting that former President Trump won the 2020 election.
Several Republican leaders criticized the ousting of a reporter from the state assembly, one of the most important events of the year as the party chooses its candidates for the November election.
State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Republican lawmaker from Weld County, called it “disgusting” and embarrassing in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Sandra Fish is a fair, honest, and respected reporter. As a Republican, I’m embarrassed by the GOP chair,” she posted. “As a state senator, I’m stunned by the blatant disregard for our Constitution — and by a former legislator, no less. Disgusting.”
Even the most recent GOP state chair before Williams blasted the move. Kristi Burton Brown, who is currently running to serve on the state board of education, called it a “dangerous take” by the party, noting that Fish is “widely known to be hard-hitting but fair.”
“Transparency is necessary for our nation,” she said.
In the predawn text from the GOP, Fish was told by Eric Grossman, who was working logistics for the assembly, that the party had decided the event was not an “open press event.”
“This is to inform you that your name is not included in my final press credentials list currently being typed up,” he texted.
Fish said she decided to attend the event anyway. “It’s important for the public to see these things, to have these things reported on,” Fish said.
Colorado Sun editor Larry Ryckman called Fish an “experienced, accomplished journalist” who was working to report important news for the Colorado public.
“A free press is a pillar of a healthy democracy,” he said. “The Founding Fathers understood this, and that’s why they enshrined freedom of the press in the very first amendment to the Constitution. The public has a right to know who is running for political office, and Sandra was there to represent the public today.”
Ryckman said the situation was reminiscent of his days as a Moscow correspondent for The Associated Press. “It’s a sad day when politicians get to decide who can and cannot report for the American people,” he said. “I once lived in and covered a place like that. It was called the Soviet Union. We deserve better in Colorado.”
Williams did not respond to a request for comment from The Sun.
According to the Pueblo Chieftain, Williams said Fish and The Sun are “nothing more than an extension of the Democratic Party, and we don’t need them coming to our convention.” He told the Chieftain that the Colorado Republican Party is a “private political organization, and if they’re going to come and lie about us, they can do that outside of the meeting.”
The Sun is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit statewide news outlet.
The Sun learned Thursday that the Colorado GOP was possibly planning to prevent Fish from attending the statewide assembly Saturday. Ryckman and another editor reached out to Williams proactively, but the chairman did not respond to multiple messages.
Republicans at the state assembly are advancing candidates to the primary ballot for University of Colorado regent at large as well as selecting representatives to the Republican National Committee, which helps choose the nominee for president. The party was also working to set its platform for the upcoming election season.
