HYPOCRISY EXPOSED:

The Recall Campaign Against

Montrose County Commissioner Scott Mijares

The ongoing recall campaign targeting duly elected Montrose County Commissioner Scott Mijares represents a stark display of hypocrisy, built on half-truths and baseless accusations. This effort, launched in July 2025, seeks to undermine a commissioner who has consistently championed transparency and accountability, while conveniently ignoring deeper issues of misconduct among former leaders.

1. Claiming to "Save Our Democracy" While Undermining Voter Will

The recall organizers proclaim they are "saving our democracy," yet their actions directly contradict this by attempting to overturn the clear mandate of voters who elected Mijares in November 2024. This is not safeguarding democracy; it's outright rejecting the people's choice. Moreover, the United States is not a pure democracy but a constitutional republic, where "saving our democracy" often serves as rhetoric that threatens republican principles, individual freedoms, and governmental openness.

2. Professing Transparency While Opposing a Transparency Advocate

The recall touts a commitment to transparency, but this rings hollow given Mijares' longstanding advocacy for open government during his campaign and tenure. A successful recall would only serve to obscure or suppress investigations into alleged crimes by former Commissioners Sue Hansen, Roger Rash, and Keith Caddy, who are accused of condoning (or even approving) the illegal transfer of over $100 million in Public Safety Sales Tax (PSST) funds, originally intended for essential public safety operations since its voter approval in 2007.

3. Lack of Transparency in the Recall Group Itself

Far from being transparent, the recall organizers have failed to disclose to petition signers and the public that their leadership includes Ray Langston, a disgraced former GOP party chair with a troubling record. Langston's history involves verbal assaults against women, lack of accountability for campaign donations, and a failure to submit his final financial report for December 2020 (now over four and a half years overdue). This individual is a key figure in the recall team, raising serious questions about their integrity and motives.

4. Questioning Mijares' Fitness Based on Outdated Claims

The recall cites a civil fine imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Mijares over 25 years ago (from a 1996-1998 settlement related to alleged kickbacks) as evidence of unfitness for office. This same issue was raised by supporters of Mijares' primary opponent, Louis Stark, during the 2024 election cycle. Ironically, the recall ignores Stark's own unresolved issues: multiple federal tax liens dating back to the early 2000s, which remain unsettled to this day. Prioritizing an ancient civil matter over ongoing financial delinquencies exemplifies selective outrage.

5. Undermining Transparency Through Rushed Decisions

The recall group's purported support for transparency is further contradicted by their backing of hasty actions by outgoing commissioners, including Hansen, to approve the multi-million-dollar North Campus project and hire a new county manager. These decisions were pushed through rather than deferred to the incoming board, potentially locking in commitments that evade proper scrutiny and accountability.

This recall campaign is a blatant exercise in hypocrisy, designed primarily to shield alleged crimes and unethical behavior by Hansen, Rash, and Caddy from further exposure. The major players orchestrating the recall, including Langston, warrant investigation themselves (and potentially indictment) as accomplices in supporting the alleged misuse of over $100 million in taxpayer-funded PSST resources.

Notably, Commissioner Sue Hansen remains aligned with this disgraced figure, despite his past false accusations against her spouse, highlighting the tangled web of personal and political motivations at play.