Part 2: Exposing the Colorado swamp

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Part Two – Money

In part one of our breaking story on the Colorado Swamp, we highlighted some of the inner workings of the political class in Colorado. The expansive story of how House Republican Leadership may or may not have sabotaged Republican candidates in an attempt to hold onto power.

The evidence for this comes in a two-hour recording of former Congressman Bob Beauprez’s testimony regarding the actions of Colorado Pioneer Action and Colorado Rising Action. Most of the discussion is establishing facts and timelines, but around the seventeen-minute mark, a curious name appears for the first time, former Speaker of the House Frank McNulty.

McNulty isn’t listed on any documents cited in the CPR article “New GOP Group Thinks Moderate Rebranding Is Key To Beat Back Colorado’s Blue Wave,” but with his long-established ties to Lois Landgraf and Polly Lawrence – it’s hard to imagine that he isn’t involved in some way.

Frank McNulty has ties to what many people consider the liberal wing of the Republican party. His time in the legislature is not remembered by most and his voting record flew under the radar. In business, however, Frank McNulty appears on paper as somebody who will align himself with anyone or anything to get a buck.

As someone who along with his wife works as a registered lobbyist for Colorado Christian University, you would expect McNulty to keep the same type of conservative allies as CCU. People who believe in traditional marriage, defending life, preserving religious liberty and opposing drug use. It wouldn’t be a stretch to make that assumption. However, you would be wrong.

When it comes to their business dealings, it appears they will align with anyone. Let’s consider the various clients and companies that McNulty shares an office-suite with at 1576 Sherman Street, Suite 300.

Headwater Strategies, for example, is well established in the liberal lobbying circles in Denver. With clients such as Everytown for Gun Safety, Mom’s Demand Action, The Trial Lawyers, the Solar Energy Association, and even the LGBTQ group One Colorado. It’s hard to imagine that somebody who lobbies for conservative values, traditional marriage, and Colorado’s oil and gas industry would work on the same block let alone sharing the same office suite.

When Colorado Citizen Press reached out to our contacts at the capitol, many weren’t surprised. They pointed out that civil unions and bills regulating/ultimately killing coal jobs in Colorado passed while McNulty was in office. McNulty even voted to implement the Obamacare Heath-Exchanges in Colorado.

Suite 300 includes a strange mix of bedfellows including, McNulty, the Capstone Group, a bipartisan lobbying giant, who in addition to lobbying for many businesses and pro-business groups also pushes for amnesty of illegal immigrants on behalf of FWD.US.

It’s odd to see that these are the groups that Frank McNulty, a Republican, has chosen to align himself with. And one has to consider why he would work with Pioneer Action and other groups to primary many of the same candidates that Colorado Christian University praises for their conservative stance on the issues. The same Colorado Christian University that opposes the healthcare law that he pushed for as Speaker. We may never know the answer.

It appears Frank McNulty places pocketbook over principle, but the evidence is only circumstantial. When and to what degree McNulty has “sold-out” conservatives in Colorado is an answer only he and his business partners know. For now.

We were still researching McNulty’s ties with liberal activists when the Colorado Public Radio story broke. While the bulk of the information we’ve uncovered will take many days or possibly weeks to publish in their entirety, we encourage you to submit any tips you have regarding Frank McNulty, Lois Landgraf, Polly Lawrence or anybody else associated with Friends for the Future, Colorado Pioneer Action.

Stay Tuned in the coming days for more chapters in this evolving story, including a critique of the idea that Republicans can win going moderate.