Colorado Springs City Councilman picked to run Mesa County Elections
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- After passwords for election equipment in Mesa County ended up being published on a QAnon website, the Mesa County Board of Commissioners appointed a familiar face to run their elections-- former secretary of state and current Colorado Springs city councilman, Wayne Williams (R).
However, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) officially appointed a different elections supervisor in the county, Mesa County Treasurer Sheila Reiner (R).
Tuesday, Griswold gave Reiner the authority to oversee election functions and appointed a three-person advisory committee to help her.
Mesa County Commissioners say Griswold overstepped her authority, and are now trying to move forward with appointing Williams.
For now, it's uncertain whether Reiner or Williams will fill the of Mesa County Clerk and Recorder. A spokesperson for the secretary of state's office says they're "considering next steps."
Regardless of the outcome, Williams says he's ready to step up.
"When I was a kid in high school, I had a friend run for mayor and he lost by 12 votes, so I know why every single vote counts, and why every single vote matters," Williams said.
If he is chosen to supervise the Mesa County elections, Williams will be stepping into a messy situation.
According to Griswold, Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters (R) allowed an unauthorized person to gain access to voting information during an update to ensure security for the voting system.
Our Denver affiliate 9News reports Peters, and two other Mesa County Clerk and Recorder staff employees, Belinda Knisley and Sandra Brown are banned from participating in all elections.
"To be very clear, the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder allowed a security breach, and by all evidence, assisted it," Griswold said at a news conference earlier this week.
Peters has accused Griswold of trying to "take over" her office.
Tuesday, the FBI Denver field office joined a Colorado district attorney's investigation into the county clerk's office.
With the FBI now involved in the investigation, Williams says he isn't taking what happened in the county lightly.
"I was incredulous that some of the protocols would be violated in the way they are alleged to have been violated," he added.
All the more reason he wants the Mesa County election to mirror what happens in El Paso County.
"If you go down and look at the El Paso County Clerk and Recorders Office, we want transparency, so we put the largest windows the fire marshal would allow so that we can do that, and we run the cameras. We make sure we follow the rules," Willams said.
As far as his duties on the city council, he says he'll still be involved.
"I will still continue to work as a Colorado Springs city council member. I'll continue to do that work. But Colorado Springs City Council does not pay a full-time wage, and for those of us that don't have another source of income, it means that we need to continue to work. I have always done that."
Despite the compromise, Williams added that he thinks the state of Colorado has perhaps the best run elections in the country.
Until an agreement is made, he and Reiner say they have been and are willing to work together.
For Williams, it's all about making sure people know their voice is heard.
"Confidence in the elections depends upon rules being in place and followed. That confidence gives people the desire to vote because they believe their vote will be counted and counted accurately."
At this time, the FBI has not named any persons of interest, or suspects, in the investigation.
