Republicans Rebuke Colorado GOP for Ejecting Journalist From Event

Republicans have rebuked the Colorado GOP on Saturday on social media for ejecting a journalist from a statewide event.

Sandra Fish, a political reporter for The Colorado Sun, was escorted out of the state GOP assembly on Saturday after being told hours before the event by a Colorado GOP event organizer that she was no longer allowed to attend the assembly and then going anyway. The Colorado GOP chooses its candidates for the November election at the assembly.

Fish was removed from the event after being told that Colorado GOP chairman Dave Williams, who is running for U.S. Congress, found her "current reporting to be very unfair," according to The Colorado Sun. Fish has covered politics since 1982 and Colorado Sun editor and co-founder Larry Ryckman called her an "experienced, accomplished journalist."

State Republicans criticized Fish's removal from the event on X, formerly Twitter.

Kristi Burton Brown, a former chair of the Colorado GOP, called the move to eject Fish "dangerous" in a post on Saturday.

"Removing the Times Recorder that pretends to be real news is one thing. But removing a journalist who's widely known to be hard-hitting but fair is quite another. Transparency is necessary for our nation," she wrote.

Colorado state Representative Matt Soper wrote on Saturday: "A healthy and transparent republic means you allow the public and media to observe the process of selecting candidates to represent our state in public office. This is regardless of if you agree or disagree with the reporter."

State Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer said she was "embarrassed" and "stunned" by the incident.

"Sandra Fish is a fair; honest and respected reporter. As a Republican I'm embarrassed by the GOP chair," she wrote on Saturday. "As a State Senator I'm stunned by the blatant disregard for our Constitution - and by a former Legislator no less. Disgusting."

Former state representative and state Senator Greg Brophy wrote in reaction to Fish being ejected on Saturday: "Un-frickin-believable. But then again, with China Dave 'leading' the GOP and already breaking every ethical and moral norm, it's not surprising. It's time for the Central Committee to bounce him."

When Fish showed up to the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo on Saturday, she checked in at the door and received a press credential to enter the event. However, she was told to leave roughly an hour later. When she refused, a police officer escorted her out and told her, "You have to be invited here...They don't want you here, so I gotta get you out of here," as per a video taken at the scene by other journalists.

However, Williams told Newsweek via email on Sunday: "We make no apologies for kicking out a fake journalist, who actually snuck into our event, because her publication 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 [Republican 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."

Fish also told Newsweek in an emailed statement on Sunday: "As a journalist, my job is to give citizens 'the information they need to be free and self-governing,' as Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel write in The Element of Journalism, my fave [sic] textbook as a journalism instructor. And that's what I was doing Saturday and will continue to do."

Fish has covered Williams and the state Republican Party in the past, writing a story in February about the Colorado GOP sending a mailer that attacked Williams' congressional primary opponent Jeff Crank, calling it "the latest example of Williams using his party leadership position to benefit or defend himself and his allies."

Update 4/7/24, 1:49 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Williams.

Update 4/7/24, 2:06 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Fish.