The Trump campaign is calling for immediate action in response to a significant security breach revealed by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office, which inadvertently published passwords for county voting systems on its website. The passwords, crucial for accessing vote tabulating machines and other election equipment, were made accessible online for several months before being discovered.
On Wednesday, Trump’s legal team formally urged Secretary Griswold to direct county clerks to halt the processing of mail-in ballots until the affected election systems can be secured. According to The Denver Post, the passwords for nearly all Colorado counties were made public in June, viewable by users who clicked an “unhide” option on the Secretary of State’s website.
In the wake of the discovery, which the Trump campaign claims occurred as early as October 24, they criticized Griswold for allegedly concealing the breach. Trump’s attorney, Scott Gessler, emphasized the need for transparency and immediate protective measures. “It is essential that you act immediately to protect the integrity of Colorado’s general election,” Gessler wrote in his correspondence with Griswold.
While Griswold maintains that the leaked passwords did not compromise election security due to the state’s multiple layers of protective measures, the Trump campaign insists that reprogramming the election machines is vital. Gessler pointed out that the situation, while potentially inconvenient, is necessary to ensure compliance with Colorado law regarding the chain of custody for election equipment.
In a Thursday response, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Beall acknowledged that the breach had come to their attention the previous week. He reassured that there was “no immediate threat to the security of Colorado’s voting systems or the 2024 General Election,” citing the robustness of the state’s election security protocols.
However, concerns have been raised about the communication surrounding the breach. According to Matt Crane, the Executive Director of the Colorado County Clerks’ Association, county clerks were dismayed to learn of the issue through a state GOP email rather than directly from Griswold’s office. “If a mistake happens in a county, counties have to report that out to the state immediately. With something so potentially severe, we think that the first call should have been to the county,” Crane stated.
Griswold has faced mounting criticism from Republicans, including former Deputy Secretary of State Suzanne Taheri, who accused her of downplaying the severity of the password leak. Taheri argued that the security risks were substantial, suggesting that even with password protection, physical access to the systems could allow unauthorized entry through USB devices.
Despite the backlash, Griswold has so far resisted calls to resign. In an interview with Denver7, she remarked, “No, I’m not going to resign. A civil servant in the department made a serious mistake that we have actively taken action to remedy. Humans make mistakes. And that’s why I’ve been so focused on adding more layers of security to our elections.”
The incident highlights the ongoing concerns regarding election security and the critical importance of communication and transparency in maintaining public confidence in electoral processes. As Colorado approaches the upcoming general election, the implications of this breach and the responses from state officials are likely to remain focal points of discussion among political analysts and voters alike.