Residents urge Pueblo County to end contract with outside firm amid allegations it sought access to election equipment

Several Pueblo County residents on Tuesday asked commissioners to end the county's contract with an outside firm they said had attempted to gain access to election equipment and was politically aligned with efforts to challenge election processes. Hillary Glasgow told the commission she wanted the county to "immediately stop spending taxpayer dollars on a lobbying firm that is either representing Trump or not representing Trump, regardless still trying to illegally access voting equipment in Republican counties in Colorado." Heather Mayo said she was "appalled" the company was contracted by the county and described the firm's name and an employee she said had approached other county clerks about voting systems. Anne Beers asked the board to "fire that company and find another company that behaves in a legal manner." These speakers were part of a short public-comment segment the chair allowed at the start of Tuesday's work session. The county attorney subsequently asked the board to go into executive session to receive legal advice on multiple matters, including "the contract with the 76 group," citing Colorado statutory provisions for closed-session legal advice and negotiation strategy (C.R.S. section 24-6-402(4)(b), (e), and (g) as referenced in the request). The request listed other subjects for closed session as well, including the IGA with the city regarding the regional building department, parental leave policy, marijuana excise tax scholarship award contracts, and a real property matter at 126 East Fourth Street. Commissioners did not discuss or act publicly on the contract during the work session; the board moved into executive session following the attorney's request. At the work session the chair said the regular statutory meeting had been canceled and limited public comment was allowed for a brief period; no formal vote on the contract was taken in open session.