A Colorado Sun politics reporter was escorted out of the state GOP assembly by a sheriff’s deputy on Saturday, April 6, after being told that party Chairman Dave Williams found her “current reporting to be very unfair.”
Sandra Fish, who has covered politics since 1982, received a text at 3:45 a.m. Saturday from a Colorado Republican Party event organizer saying that she was no longer allowed to attend. Fish went anyway to the assembly at the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, where she checked in at the door and received a press credential to enter.
About an hour later, she was told to leave.
Fish initially refused, but was later escorted out by a law enforcement officer, who told her, “You have to be invited here. They don’t want you here. We have to get you out of here,” according to video taken by other journalists.
In the past year, Fish has written news articles about Williams’ 2023 election to lead the state party, as well as the party’s financial struggles.
In February, she authored a Sun article about the state GOP sending a pro-Donald Trump mailer that attacked William’s congressional primary opponent, in which she called it “the latest example of Williams using his party leadership position to benefit or defend himself and his allies.” Williams is running to replace U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District.
Williams was elected as party chairman on a platform that included falsely insisting that Trump won the 2020 election.
Several Republican leaders criticized Fish’s ouster from the state assembly, one of the most important events of the year as the party chooses its candidates for the November election.
State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Republican lawmaker from Weld County, called it “disgusting” and embarrassing in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Sandra Fish is a fair, honest and respected reporter. As a Republican I’m embarrassed by the GOP chair,” she posted. “As a state senator I’m stunned by the blatant disregard for our Constitution — and by a former legislator no less. Disgusting.”
Even Williams’ predecessor blasted the move. Kristi Burton Brown, who is running to serve on the state board of education, called it a “dangerous take” by the party, noting that Fish is “widely known to be hard-hitting but fair.”
“Transparency is necessary for our nation,” she said.
In the predawn text from the GOP, Eric Grossman, who was working logistics for the assembly, told Fish that the party had decided the event was not an “open press event.”
“This is to inform you that your name is not included in my final press credentials list currently being typed up,” he texted, adding that the party chairman thinks her reporting is “very unfair.”
Fish said she decided to attend the event anyway.
“It’s important for the public to see these things, to have these things reported on,” Fish said.
Transparency is necessary for our nation – Kristi Burton Brown
Colorado Sun editor Larry Ryckman called Fish an “experienced, accomplished journalist” who was working to report important news for the Colorado public.
“A free press is a pillar of a healthy democracy,” he said.
“The Founding Fathers understood this, and that’s why they enshrined freedom of the press in the very first amendment to the Constitution. The public has a right to know who is running for political office, and Sandra was there to represent the public today.”
Ryckman said the situation was reminiscent of his days as a Moscow correspondent for The Associated Press.
“It’s a sad day when politicians get to decide who can and cannot report for the American people,” he said. “I once lived in and covered a place like that. It was called the Soviet Union. We deserve better in Colorado.”
Williams responded Sunday to The Sun’s request for comment on Saturday. He called Fish a “fake journalist” and accused her of sneaking into the event, despite that she received press credentials at the door.
The Sun, he said, “is just an extension of the Democrat Party’s PR efforts, and the only backlash we see is from the fake news media, radical Democrats and establishment RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) who hate our conservative base and who always look for opportunities to boot lick the crooked press or pundits who hate true Republicans and President Trump.”
The Sun learned Thursday that the Colorado GOP was possibly planning to prevent Fish from attending the statewide assembly Saturday. Ryckman and another editor reached out to Williams proactively, but the chairman did not respond to multiple messages.
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An open letter from members of the media
The Colorado News Collaborative (COLab), Colorado Press Association, Colorado Broadcasters Association, Colorado Media Project, Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition and Denver Press Club write to express our collective dismay and concern over the recent exclusion of Colorado Sun politics reporter Sandra Fish from the Colorado Republican Party state assembly.
Journalism serves as the cornerstone of a vibrant and functioning democracy, providing citizens with the information necessary to make informed decisions. The forcible removal of Ms. Fish from the assembly, under the pretext that her reporting was unfavorably viewed by the party’s chairman, stands in stark contrast to the principles of freedom of speech and the press enshrined in our Constitution.
We stand in Solidarity with Sandra Fish
Ms. Fish, a seasoned reporter with a career spanning decades, was unduly singled out and told that her presence was unwelcome, based on subjective assessments of her reporting. This action not only silences a respected voice in the field of journalism, but also sends a chilling message to the press at large about the erosion of journalistic access and freedom within our state.
The constitutionally protected role of journalists is to report facts and bring transparency to the workings of our society, especially our political institutions. By barring Ms. Fish from attending the assembly, the Colorado Republican Party risks obstructing the public’s right to receive comprehensive and unfiltered news about significant political events.
This action not only undermines the essential role of the free press but also detracts from the democratic process by limiting the scope of public discourse.
This is not a partisan matter. We agree with the previous GOP state chair, Kristi Burton Brown, who posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the ouster was a “dangerous” move by her successor, adding: “Transparency is necessary for our nation.”
In light of these events, we urge the Colorado Republican Party leadership to reconsider its stance on press freedom and to acknowledge the vital role that journalists like Ms. Fish play in our democracy.
It is imperative for all political organizations to operate with transparency and to allow media access to their proceedings, regardless of perceived criticisms. We stand in solidarity with Sandra Fish and all journalists who face barriers in their pursuit of truth and accountability.