August 26, 2022 09:00 AM UTC

BREAKING: Recall Attempt Coming Against Wayne Williams

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• by: Colorado Pols

FRIDAY UPDATE: Colorado Public Radio’s Bente Birkeland reads between the lines:

While the recall website doesn’t mention the [PSA with Secretary of State Jena Griswold], Pitchford did email Williams about it just one day before sending out the blast asking for help with the recall. A source close to the situation provided CPR with a copy of the message.

“Why are you calling the political ad you made with Griswold a ‘PSA.’ You and Gena(sic) spent $425,000 to produce an alleged PSA. The average cost of producing a PSA is $15,000 to $75,000. Then you and Gena spent another $600,000 PAYING for what is normally free”, Pitchford wrote…

Williams has also received pushback on the ad from some moderate Republicans, including GOP Secretary of State candidate Pam Anderson, who he has endorsed. Anderson said she doesn’t object to the contents of the ad, but is disappointed Williams was in it with her opponent this close to the midterm election.

For reasons near and far, the knives are out for Wayne Williams.

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That’s the word we just received–while a vengeful faction of Colorado Republicans led by conservative mercenary Michael Fields gears up for an incredibly ill-conceived recall attempt against Sen. Kevin Priola (Newly D) in the middle of a must-win election season, the ever-fractious rabble in Colorado Springs is reportedly filing paperwork today to commence a recall attempt against former Secretary of State and current Springs City Councilman Wayne Williams–who is facing intraparty backlash for appearing with his Democratic successor Jena Griswold in a public service announcement combating election misinformation.

Don’t tell them no, off they go:

Our first project: we have two recalls that we are filing today.

Concerned friends and fellow voters across the city have been expressing extreme frustration with what many see as leadership that is not aligned with our interests and/or is unqualified for the job. No one wants to spend their precious free time doing this, but principles do matter. Shame on us all if we continue sit silently as our lifestyle, values and public safety are put at risk by people we elected into office — well, at least one of the two was. What we need now are for people to sign up to help with this effort to restore control of our city where it belongs — with, by and for the people.

Notably, at the Recall Wayne Williams page itself, there’s no mention of the recent controversy over Williams appearing in his successor’s PSA against election misinformation. The stated reasons for the recall are various instances in which Williams in his capacity as city councilman “supported developers” in land use decisions. They also cite a potential conflict if Holly Williams, Wayne’s spouse, wins an El Paso County commission seat this November.

Whatever the stated reasons for this recall may be, it’s the larger political controversy over Williams’ efforts to combat election misinformation–whether in Mesa County helping oversee elections while the local clerk is up on felony charges or appearing in a completely innocuous PSA against election misinformation–that will drive a recall campaign against Williams if one successfully emerges. That’s the only reason anyone outside Colorado Springs would care to get involved. And just like the recall campaign announced yesterday against Sen. Priola, any such diversion of time and resources when Republicans are supposed to be organizing for the November elections is a stupendous gift to Democrats.

Let a hundred recalls bloom.