"Recall Polis" Grift Descends To New Depths Of Griftiness

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by: Colorado Pols

With the campaign to recall Gov. Jared Polis now consigned to the dustbin of history, we’ve been following developments surrounding the roughly $100,000 raised by the “Official” Recall Jared Polis committee–which readers will recall is the committee that decided not to launch a recall attempt without the huge financial and volunteer commitment that would be necessary and condemned the “Dismiss Polis” campaign for moving ahead without the resources to succeed. Earlier this month, we took note of a large transfer of funds from the “Official” Polis Recall committee to a committee named “Colorado For Trump,” and took that as a sign that their operations were winding down.

But as 9NEWS’ Kyle Clark reports in the video above, that’s not where this sorry story ends:

$30k in donations to recall Gov Polis were shifted to ‘Colorado For Trump,’ run by the same woman, Juli-Andra Fuentes. The Trump campaign says it’s not affiliated and may take action. Fuentes tells me she wants a personal phone call from the President first. #copolitics

— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) September 17, 2019

You read that correctly: “Colorado For Trump” is not affiliated with the Trump campaign whatsoever, and is in fact run by the same Juli-Andra Fuentes who ran the “Official” Recall Polis committee. The Trump campaign is threatening legal action, and now Fuentes is talking about all kinds of alternative destinations for the committee’s remaining cash:

The $29k in remaining recall donations will be split between a new committee Fuentes declined to describe, charitable contributions, settling outstanding debts, and creating a legal fund to be used by the committee’s attorney, former Sec. of State Scott Gessler. #copolitics

— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) September 17, 2019

Of course Scott Gessler gets some of the money! Gessler attaching himself to the revenue stream of this summer’s failed recall attempts has got to be one of the most under-reported angles on the whole story and we hope somebody catches up with him for a few questions. As for the rest of the cash, this boils down to a hard lesson in the pitfalls of political giving–in particular giving to PACs and other entities without a clear purpose and accountability for the monies raised.

This is a campaign that literally had donors pledging their disability and Social Security checks to make donations in their misguided low-information fervor to bring Gov. Polis down. To see that money now slushing around in the hands of obviously marginal people with no sense of responsibility to the donors they spent months fleecing is…well, it ought to be a crime. The only reason it may not be is because the “ScamPAC” industry pays the mortgages of a lot of people in politics. Like Scott Gessler.

When does it stop being a political campaign and just become a fraud? This situation is pushing the boundary.

13 thoughts on ““Recall Polis” Grift Descends To New Depths Of Griftiness”

JeffcoBlue says:

September 18, 2019 at 12:28 pm

She made her own Trump committee to hide the sausage in. That's pretty inventive!

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1. Diogenesdemar says:
  
  September 18, 2019 at 12:35 pm
  
  Inventive???!
  
  . . . Hell, that’s almost Nevillish!
  
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  1. unnamed says:
    
    September 18, 2019 at 1:03 pm
    
    Careful. Barb Neville will say you should be shipped to Venezuela for being mean to her baby boy.
    
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    1. MADCO says:
      
      September 18, 2019 at 5:19 pm
      
      I woud be willing to go to Venezueal… you think if I start a committee anyone will donate?
      
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RepealAndReplace says:

September 18, 2019 at 1:07 pm

I would almost think that this is a front for the Colorado Democratic Party or the DSCC.

Think about it! for every dollar that goes into this black hole, there is one dollar less that goes towards Cory Gardner's re-election campaign.

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1. bullshit! says:
  
  September 18, 2019 at 1:52 pm
  
  That's what they all accused each other of too…
  
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Genghis says:

September 18, 2019 at 1:16 pm

a new committee Fuentes declined to describe

The Committee to Keep Juli-Andra Fuentes Flush With Third Reich Memorabilia and Concealed Swastika Tats, perhaps.

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RepealAndReplace says:

September 18, 2019 at 2:50 pm

Sadly, eventually this scam will burn itself out.

Even the most stupid right wing shill (I'm looking at you, SoiledBlueDress) will start to wonder why no recalls have actually happened despite all the money the idiots have sent in.

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harrydoby says:

September 18, 2019 at 5:34 pm

Now this guy knows how to play the rubes for really big bucks

PAC operator pleads guilty to fraud

Kelley Rogers, who raised millions with red-meat conservative pitches but spent little on politics, admits he cheated donors.

Rogers’ arrest and indictment took place shortly after Politico and ProPublica investigated one of Rogers’ PACs, Conservative Majority Fund, which since 2012 has raised close to $10 million — mostly from small-dollar donors, many of them elderly — while giving out just $48,400 to politicians.

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1. kwtree says:
  
  September 18, 2019 at 6:46 pm
  
  Patrick Davis, former Trump Chair for Colorado, fleeced GOP donors for around $3 million prior to being hired to head Trump’s Colorado campaign. For his stellar work in losing Colorado, Davis was appointed as the Senior Advisor to the Regional Administrator for Public Engagement of the EPA.
  
  As such, he meets with people and asks them which regulations to get rid of to make it easier to comply with the EPA law. Nice work if you can get it. Prerequisite: moral sense of a honey badger.
  
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2. JohnInDenver says:
  
  September 18, 2019 at 9:51 pm
  
  Can someone help me set up a "Send me your money" PAC so we can experiment and find the right pitch for people to respond to? Heck, I'm even willing to make certain AT LEAST (mumble-mumble) percent will go to campaigns for Truth, Justice and the American Way (if the trademark on that phrase has expired).
  
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Diogenesdemar says:

September 18, 2019 at 8:43 pm

I’m feeling kinda’ relieved that Juli-Andra may only be interested in stealing donations monies . . .

. . . I was concerned that “Colorado for Trump” was gonna’ be something really evil,

. . . like maybe her scheme to use the petitions lists to sucker those unwitting dullards into attending her Amway, LulaRoe, or Herbalife, business-success seminars?! . . . (“After six weeks, your skin will begin to shine with that same beautiful Trump-Republican patriotic orange glow! Guaranteed*! Or, your six-month “Super Patriot” renewal supply may be up to** 45% off!”)

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1. kwtree says:
  
  September 18, 2019 at 9:01 pm
  
  The “Colorado for Trump Now” Independent Expenditure Committee has the purpose to
  
  SUPPORT COLORADO ELECTION EFFORTS FOR CANDIDATES THAT SUPPORT TRUMP REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL AFFILIATION.
  
  according to the committee registration on the Secretary of State site.
  
  Someone who knows the rules for IECs – is this Fuentes’ attempt to show “non-partisan-ship”? If so, does anyone believe it? Are there going to be proTrump Democrats lining up to ask Juli Andra pretty please for some campaign cash?
  
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