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June 15, 2012 07:17 PM UTC

Randy Baumgardner's Got Some 'Splaining To Do

  • 50 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

FOX 31’s Eli Stokols reports that a certain law-and-order Colorado Republican representative, in the thick of a cutthroat primary, has got a problem on the home front. A big problem.

State Rep. Randy Baumgardner, who is challenging Sen. Jean White in a Republican primary for her senate seat, is benefiting from mailers questioning White’s values after she voted in favor of civil unions.

But FOX 31 Denver has confirmed that Baumgardner, R-Hot Sulphur Springs, is currently harboring an unregistered sex offender in his home, a decision that has his neighbors questioning his own values. [Pols emphasis]

“This is an ignorant, arrogant individual who has no place in public office,” one of Baumgardner’s constituents wrote in an email to FOX31 Denver. “If you are running on morals, then have some.”

…He was arrested at Baumgardner’s home on April 12 for failing to register as a sex offender.

Baumgardner paid the $2,000 to bail him out.

Rep. Randy Baumgardner told FOX 31’s Stokols that the sex offender in question, Michael K. Frierson, “was arrested but no charges were filed.” This ignores the rather obvious problem that one must be convicted of a crime in order to be required to register as a sex offender. In fact, Mr. Frierson pled guilty to a charge of sexual assault on a victim more than ten years younger–a crime committed when he was 25, meaning the victim was 15 years of age or younger. Also, Mr. Frierson, who Rep. Baumgardner claims has never been “anything but respectful” while living in his home, has a mile-long rap sheet on a variety of other charges.

Here’s Michael Frierson’s most recent arrest report, and his lengthy CBI arrest record.

We’ll be interested in seeing if the law-abiding GOP primary voters in SD-8 find this worse than Sen. Jean White’s vote for civil unions. We’d objectively have to say they, um, ought to.

Comments

50 thoughts on “Randy Baumgardner’s Got Some ‘Splaining To Do

  1. has shown up too late to do any damage.  A lot of mail in ballots are already in and it will take a few days to get the word out in a rural district.  

    1. The speed at which juicy info makes the rounds in small towns cannot be underestimated.

      Yet another reason why mail ballots are a bad idea. There’s no way to take a vote back if it’s been cast before a late-breaking development.

              1. only even considered optional among those .0001% who believe themselves “more special” than anyone else.  Consensus was overwhelmingly appalled by this ridiculous suggestion — it does nothing to save the planet, and it is evidence of philosophical mushy-headedness and an overarching desire to reach the 25,000 post awards level.

                I do seem to remember this being discussed here . . .  

                  1. Sort of. Only sort of in reverse: If anyone disagrees with Dio, then no matter how trivial the issue, they are scum sucking, evil, idiots. I can’t remember when I’ve ever disagreed with him.

                  2. not one person defended you on this, and you eventually admitted that it had nothing to do with poll taxes or global warming, just your own laziness.

                    It’s not a trivial issue. It’s like if you called someone a faggot, and when people complained, you said, “But it’s just one of a hundred thousand words I’ll write today!” instead of actually defending it.

                    Plus it’s still funny that the richest guy on the blog is the cheapest.

                    1. In that discussion I posted this comment.

                      First off I think making people pay to vote is wrong. It’s not the amount, it’s the principle that there should not be a poll tax of any kind.

                      Second, it reduces the vote. There are numerous people like me that don’t have stamps and have to go buy them somewhere. Voting is not the #1 priority for most people and so some of those voters won’t get to it in time.

                      I’m also surprised that you would equate this at the same level of calling someone by a hurtful slur. But kudos for not saying my view on this makes me a Nazi. (In my opinion a couple of you went off the deep end over the cost of 2 stamps.)

                    2. postage was only a part of your explanation. You also said there was a primary and you didn’t know anything about the 2 candidates. Instead of learning you shredded the ballot

                    3. I don’t see how you can complain about both my not putting postage on the ballot and my not voting. Those are mutually incompatible.

                      And yes, when the only item on the ballot was 2 candidates with very similar approaches to running the county, I decided to not vote. I fail to see how that decision is worthy of the level of invective it received.

                    4. you can easily go downtown and vote in person at the courthouse for free. And if you think walking down Pearl Street and stopping by to vote is too much of a burden, what are you doing in Boulder anyway? Pretty sure we have some kind of law about you have to walk down Pearl Street twice a week no matter what just to live here.

                      Anyway, there’s absolutely no reasonable excuse that this is a poll tax by any standard.

                      Although I disagree with some others here. I actually applaud you for shredding your ballot: it’s a public service when the comically ignorant fail to vote.  

                    5. this has nothing to do with his being cheap . . . that’s simply not fair.  (How could you have already forgotten about the helicopters?)

                      . . . it’s about ensuring that others have the privilege of footing the bill for his principled choices.  (And, that’s the really funny part.)

                    6. We all do things that have all of us footing the bill. I help foot the bill for open space use here in Boulder even though I never use it.

                      But glad to see you continuing to flog this dead horse. After all, otherwise you might have to discuss something of actual impact…

                    7. and since I want my vote to count I’ll walk it into the County Clerk’s.

                      and the orher matter “I think it is a poll tax so it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.” C’mon Dave, admit it, you’re a little too full of yourself

                    8. Yup, there’s a stamp for that . . .

                      Oh, the things one misses by not visiting Colorado’s open spaces . . . or your post office . . . or King Soopers . . . or . . .  

  2. Continue to play to the Republican hand.  Having the most people possible vote isn’t important.  The reality is that for all but President, US Senator and US Rep (maybe) 95% of voters are low information voters.  Giving them time to gather information before the election (especially about judges and initiatives)isn’t important at all.  Helping the disabled and elderly to vote, that’s not important either.

    And finally, your argument is just nonsense.  What happens when something comes down the day after the election.  You have to set a date somewhere.  We have just chosen in Colorado to set out date two weeks earlier.  Candidates have adapted.

    1. The elderly, disabled and people planning to be out of town for election day could get absentee ballots.

      One of the things mail ballots have done is lengthen the amount of time voters are bombarded with mailings, telephone calls and TV and radio ads. Instead of mounting a push that peaked the weekend before election day, campaigns now build their ad runs four weeks out with the heaviest concentration starting with the mailing of ballots and continuing through election day.

      This, of course, has raised the cost of campaigns, which plays right into the playbook of the party of money. Which, in most cases, is the Republican party.

      1. You are full of it.  Seniors and disabled get ballots automatically now just like me.  With absentee ballots, they have to make application.  Citizens United raised the cost of campaigns.   It’s the one time that the Republican trickle down theory works.  If Republican big wigs give $ they will spend them.

        As for the bombardment, well, after you’ve voted, you just throw your junk mail away.  In addition, campaigns are sophisticated enough today to know the day that you file your absentee ballot and quit bombarding with crap, it actually saves them money as opposed to costing them money.

        finally, of course, you have failed to answer my arguments about having the time to vote.  It actually helps.

      2. Campaigns conserve GOTV resources: when ballots come in early, campaigns can stop pestering early voting partisans with phone calls and concentrate on those who have yet to vote.

        It also gives flexibility to the voter and, for those who haven’t stayed up to date on things, gives him/her additional time to mull choices.

        And they can vote drunk and naked.

    2. information is less important than what your friends think or some opinion leader you respect. There is no other reason that Romney would be polling well at all just because he made a fortune investing.

      Baumgardner sounds like a real sleaze

  3. the Social Security number to prevent anyone from stealing THIS dude’s identity though it would serve one right to steal an identity and have it be a sex offender then try to prove you are NOT him

  4. Baumgardner is so damn proud of his NRA bona fides that he states ’em twice on his site:

    – NRA-PVF Endorsed With an “A” Rating!!

    – Firearms Coalition of Colorado Endorsed With an ‘A’ Rating

    but his bunk buddy has seriously run amiss when it comes to firearm possession and weapon brandishing by a felon.  But gun-nutters can always make exceptions.  

    And the “… never been anything but respectful…” opinion on his white trash bunk buddy FAILS miserably since his felonious friend has no RESPECT for the law or his court sentencing.  

    this is some seriously pathetic hypocrisy from another law & order wingnutter    

  5. I’m sure without looking too hard I could find scores of Democrats who were at least as sleazy.  Solyndra!  Was it  that guy Vitter  who had a freezer full of cash?  Or was it Duke Cunningham who sold his soul to defense contractors for his beach pad in La Jolla?

    Let’s get to the real issues facing the state that candidates should answer to:  Where was Baumgardner born?  Did he finish his master’s degree? Does he drive drunk in Denver with a gun in the car? Did he support Maes or Tancredo ?  Does he believe UN21 is about the UN tanks rolling in and taking his guns?

    the Republican party is so fu**ed up.  Seriously- this the best they can do in any district? Is there no one else in that district who wants to over bill his campaign for mileage and dry cleaning?

    Look his sex criminal roommate may or may not pay taxes.  He may or may not illegally own guns and have outstanding warrants.  It’s no one’s business but his. And his victims’. ANd the courts’, the sherrif’s and his lawyer’s.  Soylndra!

    And while she may have been 15, she was a girl, right? She’s apparently alive.  ANd besides, what was she wearing? I mean c’mon couldn’t there be just a bit of buyer’s remorse going on there (wink wink)?

    And hey, don’t forget Bristol Palin has a new tv show.

    1. But of course, once again, 99% of the people who have heard of Solyndra either don’t care or are already voting Republican and most of the rest of the 1% don’t think Solyndra is bad.

      And also, Levi Johnston is broken.

      1. hell, he’s got another illegit hillbilly bun in the camp oven or rather  another Wasilla baby momma gonna git herself a teevee show.  Yee-haw!

  6. I mean, what is his relationship to the representative?

    The basic answer, deeper into the Fox News report, is that he appears to be a farm worker who is living in their house. But something is missing from the story.

    It looks like Baumgardner hired this guy and provided him with a place to stay as well. Didn’t do a background check on him and took him at his word when he says he made some mistakes but the charges were dismissed. (Possibly not smart but not a crime.) What Baumgardner doesn’t seem to understand is that one of the charges led to a misdemeanor conviction which comes with a reporting requirment. (Althought the news report is worded in such a way that it appears that there were two arrests for sex crimes, the rap sheet makes it clear that there was one arrest and four charges – three felonies which were dismissed in favor of a conviction on the one misdemeanor charge.)

    Some of this is much ado about little. I’m sure there are plenty of folks with rap sheets working on farms in rural Colorado, even sex offenders. The question is, “Why did Baumgardner not only take him at his word but then also paid his bail?”

    At a certain point, you would think that he would cut his losses and say, “This guy lied to me and now I know that.”

  7. Worked on ranches growing up, including one where there were rumors about the level of safety for young women there. I was never harmed or even made to feel uncomfortable, but I still kind of scan this kind of headline with an eye toward wondering if I recognize a face.

    Farm and ranch owners should be especially careful about screening employees, as the nature of the work makes it very easy to perpetrate a sex assault that would be unusually difficult to prosecute.

  8. but if I showed up and my employee’s bail was $2000 I would know that this was something serious, not just a fight or even a DUI. I think if that had ever happened ( I never had one more than $500) I’d ask the guy if he needed me to bring a toothbrush

  9. committed.  The rap sheet shows an August 2004 offense date and the other document shows a December 1979 birth date.  More than ten years younger would put the victim at under thirteen, which is quite a bit creepier.  Also, the charge included coersion which was dropped in favor of the statutory rape charge, but suggests that the circumstances were not some sort of Romeo and Juliett, or even Lolita thing.

    There is also a conviction for burglary and a number of domestic violence restraining orders arrests.

    On the other hand, allowing an ex-con who has served his time and whose current offense is a failure to fail a change of address form last December when his “residence” consists of crashing at the house of someone willing to give him a break and who probably does not accompany his acts of charity with detailed background checks doesn’t founds dishonorable to me.  Helping people who’ve screwed up get their lives on track is what good people do.

    Arnold disrespected what the office he is seeking is all about and lied about his education.  Baumgardner gave sum screwed up guy a break without doing a lot of paperwork and all the guy (who doesn’t look like the organized with his paperwork type) did was fail to fill out a change of address form.

  10. …I’m a HUGE fan of his wife – Lori.

    Lori is completely salt-of-the-earth and wonderful – she is Randy’s best asset and the fact that he has such a wonderful wife speaks volumes of him.

    Randy endorsed JJ Ament when we ran for State Treasurer in 2010 and Lori endorsed me 🙂

    Anyways – outside of his politics, Randy is a good guy and if given a chance to explain, I bet money he has a good explanation behind all of this – just my 2 cents.

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