Kellner’s silence part of disturbing pattern of refusing to hold lawbreakers accountable
As the January 6 Select Committee holds another landmark hearing on the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, End Citizens United // Let America Vote called on John Kellner, candidate for Colorado Attorney General, to break his silence and repudiate the actions of the rioters and insurrectionists, and those who planned the January 6 attack.
Despite being a candidate for Colorado’s top lawyer role for half a year, Kellner has avoided making a single comment calling for accountability and justice for those who sought to illegally interfere with vote counting and planned, coordinated, and executed an attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“John Kellner may talk tough on crime, but he’s silent when the lawbreakers are from his own political party,” said Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United // Let America Vote. “Kellner’s disturbing history of tolerating illegal and even violent behavior by members of his party is disqualifying. From refusing to prosecute misconduct by his campaign donor; to staying silent on the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and American democracy; to saying nothing about holding accountable those with Colorado ties responsible for planning the attack, Kellner has shown he lacks the judgment to be Colorado’s attorney general and is unwilling to hold lawbreakers accountable when it’s politically inconvenient for him.”
Since announcing his candidacy, Kellner’s silence on the armed insurrection and failure to call for accountability by those directly responsible — including former University of Colorado visiting professor John Eastman and registered Colorado attorney Jenna Ellis — is part of a larger pattern of Kellner ignoring illegal conduct and crimes by prominent Republicans. This includes:
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Pay to play: Kellner shot down a referral for prosecution from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to bring official misconduct charges against Kellner’s campaign donor, Holly Kluth. Despite an independent investigation by the Jefferson County sheriff finding evidence that merited criminal charges against Kluth, Kellner refused to bring criminal charges. Even more alarming, Kellner refused to recuse himself from making that decision despite having accepted campaign contributions from Kluth just several months prior.
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Calls to violence: Kellner refused to investigate, prosecute, or condemn the hateful actions at a FEC United event, where a prominent conservative conspiracy theorist told a crowd in Kellner’s district that a statewide elected official should be hanged. Those statements were made in Castle Rock, which is part of the 18th judicial district represented by Kellner.
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Doxing school teachers: Kellner refused to investigate or speak out against George Brauchler, a former Republican district attorney, Kellner’s former boss, and resident of Kellner’s judicial district, after Brauchler called for “doxing” Douglas County school teachers.
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