Bounced checks and bankruptcies. Arrests and restraining orders. The names of a slew of candidates running for the Colorado legislature can be found in police and court records and other official documents. Some incidents happened decades ago, while others were as recent as this year. "This is the challenge of having ordinary people running for office," said Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, who is overseeing House Republican candidates and was unaware some had police records.
In all, the Post’s researchers found an astounding 19 Republican nominees with criminal or civil records. There are a handful of petty crimes and financial disputes among the Post's findings, but the rogues gallery that is the Colorado GOP has also racked up plenty of arrests and charges for violent crimes. Consider the history of HD-24’s GOP nominee, Clint Webster: Record: Arrested in 1991 after threatening to kill his ex-wife and firing two shots from a Colt semi automatic pistol at her and another person as they drove away from his house. No one was injured. He pleaded guilty in 1992 to second-degree assault, a felony, two counts of felony menacing and a misdemeanor assault charge.
There were various other arrests and charges against GOP nominees for assault, domestic violence, perjury, and assaulting a police officer (among many, many others). Of course, it’s hard to tell what impact this information will have on Election Day. Normally, voters ask themselves questions like “which candidate is a better person?” or “am I better off now than I was?” But this year in Colorado, anyone planning to vote Republican will also need to ask “would I be scared to run into this candidate in a dark alley?” |
