June 08, 2023 12:22 PM UTC

Anschutz Media Platform Is a Sponsor of the Western Conservative Summit

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• by: Jason Salzman

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Why is Colorado Politics Editor Luige del Puerto the only journalist featured at a giant gathering of conservatives in Denver?

The director of Colorado Christian University’s Centennial Institute, which organizes the annual Western Conservative Summit, won’t say. And no Colorado journalists responded to a public tweet asking if they received an invitation.

Del Puerto, who edits two media platforms owned by Republican billionaire/donor Phil Anschutz, isn’t the sole media figure who will be on stage at the event, which starts today.

Right-wing media personalities are a large contingent of the gathering’s speakers. They include Seth Dillon of the Babylon Bee; Eric Metaxas, a right-wing radio host; Larry Elder, a right-wing talk show host; Kara McKinney of OANN; Christine Yeargin, an anti-abortion radio host; and AWR Hawkins of Breitbart.

But it appears that no journalist like Del Puerto — who works for a news outlet that claims to be impartial — is speaking at this year’s Western Conservative Summit.

And Colorado Politics is the only impartial media outlet listed as a sponsor of the gathering. Other entities listed in the “sponsored by” section of the website include right-wing radio station KNUS; the Washington Times, a conservative news platform; the Heritage Foundation; Alliance Defending Freedom, a right-wing legal group; Americans for Prosperity Colorado, a Koch-funded conservative advocacy group; and Turning Point USA, a right-wing advocacy group.

Del Puerto, who didn’t return a call seeking to know how he will comport himself at the event — whether he will be asking tough questions or affirming the views of conservatives with whom he’ll share the stage. The Colorado Times Recorder is a progressive publication, funded by progressive donors.

Del Puerto will appear at the gathering’s opening plenary session, which is labeled the “Pro-life Panel,” and includes former CCU Chancellor Donald Sweeting.

Other speakers at this year’s Western Conservative Sumit include notorious election deniers such as former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis, a former assistant professor of legal studies and leadership at Colorado Christian University (CCU), and CJ Pearson, a fake elector from Georgia. Former President Donald Trump spoke at the Western Conservative Summit in 2016.

Colorado Politics is an online and print publication focusing on Colorado political issues. The other Anschutz publication edited by Del Puerto is the Denver Gazette, an online news platform that recently ran ads attacking The Denver Post. Del Puerto’s latest Gazette article was headlined “Anschutz Foundation donates $50 million to CU Anschutz” and didn’t mention the fact that the Gazette is owned by Phil Anschutz, via his Clarity Media company.