March 03, 2026 11:34 AM UTC

CO GOP Officer Demands $1500 to Not Sell Off The Party’s Office Supplies Stored in His Barn

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• by: Erik Maulbetsch

(This is fine — Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Originally posted at the Colorado Times Recorder

A Colorado Republican Party officer is threatening to sell off the party’s office supplies unless he is paid $1,500. GOP Secretary Russ Andrews, who is also running to represent the Roaring Fork Valley at the state legislature, has apparently been storing a U-Haul truck’s worth of staplers and phones and filing cabinets and such in his Carbondale barn and now he wants to get paid.

Yesterday he emailed Chairwoman Brita Horn and Executive Director Alec Hanna demanding payment and setting an Apr. 29 deadline for auctioning off the party property if he hasn’t received a check, according to screenshots of the emails reviewed by the Colorado Times Recorder. He also threatened criminal charges should either of his colleagues attempt to retrieve the supplies from his barn without paying him.

“Brita and Alec, Effective IMMEDIATELY, I am billing the CRC $1,500 per month for storage of all GOP office supplies that Brita asked me to move to my barn, using a U-Haul truck I paid for.

Failure to make the First $1,000/month payment ($50/day) for 60 days will force me to put all of said office supplies up for auction on April 29, 2026, as per Colorado State Statute.

You are welcome to come fetch the supplies, as long as you bring a check. Unauthorized entry by any of your personnel onto/within my property WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW! Russ Andrews, Secretary, CO GOP”

Horn did not respond to an email inquiry as to whether the party intends to pay Andrews, whether he had a contract to store the supplies in the first place, and how she intends to resolve the situation. Andrews did not immediately respond to a email inquiry as to whether he has heard from Horn and whether he plans to continue as party secretary given their obvious tension. This article will be updated with any responses received.

Andrews’ current statehouse campaign for House District 57 isn’t his first attempt at public office; he was one of several Republicans who tried to replace Lauren Boebert once she left the Western Slope’s Third Congressional District for the redder pastures of the Eastern Plains. His aggressive approach to disputes isn’t new either: during that primary campaign Colorado Newsline reported on a one-year temporary restraining order Andrews’ neighbors secured against him for “verbal assault and threats.”

In response to Andrews’ email, Horn reached out to another member of the State Central Committee, Natalee Tennant, a Weld County Bonus member who previously helped Horn with the party’s communications committee. Horn asked Tennant if she knew of anyone who could store the supplies and had access to a truck to move them.

Tennant later posted Horn’s email which included Andrews’ original demands, with the following commentary:

CO GOP Secretary Russ Andrews is now running a straight-up mafia shakedown on his own party from his dusty barn. He personally hauled their entire “office junk” over in a U-Haul HE paid for… now he’s billing the GOP $1,500/month storage “rent.” No check in 60 days? He’s auctioning the staplers, toner cartridges, and sticky notes on April 29 like a broke reality-TV villain.
Peak self-owning clown behavior: your own Secretary turning paperclips into a hostage situation. And this guy’s running for HD57? Will he bring the exact same extortion tactics to the legislature next? Barn bandit for office—hard pass. #COGOP #StaplerMafia #BarnBandit #HD57 #storagewars #Davidians

Both Horn and Andrews are expected to participate in a virtual meeting of the State Central Committee this evening, called by Horn two weeks ago as a counter to a previous virtual SCC meeting that took place on Feb. 21.

Horn deemed that meeting, which was called by Andrews and resulted in an overwhelming vote of no confidence and a call for Horn’s resignation, invalid. Tonight’s meeting, which will include another proposed vote of no confidence, as well a proposal to strip Horn of her spending authority, takes place online at 7:30 PM.