The Deep State at Work

Party Leaders Accused of Election Interference at CD-3 Assembly

The Incident

On April 10, 2026, at the Congressional District 3 Assembly held at the Occhiato Center on the Colorado State University Pueblo campus, registered Republican Stephen Varela experienced what he describes as blatant election interference. Varela had been credentialed, entered the assembly, and was seated inside the room. He briefly stepped outside during a congressional legislative update to take a family phone call. That update immediately preceded floor nominations for Member of the State Board of Education. When Varela attempted to re-enter, multiple sheriff’s deputies, security personnel, and party officials physically blocked him. Nominations opened and closed while he remained outside.

Varela’s Preparation and Intent

Varela had prepared to seek a floor nomination, following the exact process explained to him the previous day by CD-3 Chairman David Peters. Under the assembly rules and Colorado law, floor nominations were expressly permitted. Colorado Revised Statutes § 1-4-601 allows major political parties to designate candidates through assemblies, with no advance notice required for floor nominations. Varela informed officers and party representatives in real time that nominations were underway and that blocking him would prevent him from running. Despite these explicit warnings, he was held outside until after the window closed.

Blocking, Unauthorized Demands, and Key Admissions

This was not a neutral enforcement of capacity or decorum. Varela had been lawfully present with open seats visible and non-delegate observers wearing pink lanyards allowed to remain inside without restriction. No fire marshal enforced occupancy limits, and no general announcement cleared the room. Volunteer Tonya Van Beber, coordinating with Colorado Republican Party Executive Director Alec Hanna, demanded that Varela disclose what office he was seeking and the names of his nominators before re-entry, a condition not required by the rules. Varela later confronted Hanna on video, who stated that National Committeewoman Christy Fidura had directed his removal. State Party Secretary Russ Andrews intervened and confirmed Varela’s right to enter, but by then nominations had ended.

Inconsistent Explanations

Explanations for the exclusion shifted repeatedly: initial claims of prior removal (denied by Varela and unsupported), unnamed individuals who “did not want him there,” the unauthorized disclosure demand, and a later voicemail from Secretary Lynetta Schull citing fire capacity. Varela disputes the capacity claim as inconsistent with events—no neutral reduction in occupancy occurred, and other observers remained inside.

Supporting Video Evidence

Varela has filed a formal Controversy and Complaint detailing the events and naming respondents including Christy Fidura, David Peters, Lynetta Schull, Michelle Gray (Pueblo County Republican Party Chair), Jonathan Post (Sergeant-at-Arms), Alec Hanna, Tonya Van Beber, and involved security personnel. The resubmitted complaint, provided in consolidated PDF format, includes embedded Google Drive links to all exhibits for easy public access:

• Exhibit A: Video of denial of re-entry and interaction with law enforcement.

• Exhibit B: Video of interaction with Tonya Van Beber demanding disclosure.

• Exhibit C: Video of Alec Hanna attributing the order to the National Committeewoman.

• Exhibit D: Audio of Lynetta Schull’s voicemail.

• Exhibit E: Photo of Russ Andrews directing entry.

Legal Context and Party Rules

The assembly rules, formally adopted that day, permitted floor nominations and reserved removal only for disruptive behavior or failure to maintain decorum. Varela engaged in none of these. The incident directly implicates the integrity of Colorado’s candidate designation process under state law and Secretary of State procedures.

Broader Implications and Call for Accountability

Whether or not one supports Varela as a candidate, no delegate should be denied entry or prevented from participating in the nomination process. If party leaders can selectively block one Republican using law enforcement and unauthorized gatekeeping, they can do it to any other. This raises serious concerns about the fairness of the entire nominating process, especially amid reported chaos at recent Colorado Republican Party assemblies.

Varela’s complaint seeks full review, accountability, corrective action, and safeguards to prevent future selective exclusions. Public videos and witness accounts circulating since April 11 underscore the coordinated nature of the exclusion. For the Colorado Republican Party to maintain credibility heading into the 2026 cycle, leadership must address this promptly and restore equal access for all members. The precedent set here threatens the legitimacy of the nominating process itself.