is running for the position as an unaffiliated candidate. Do not be fooled. Before May 23, 2023, Dawn Downs was a registered Republican. We followed the money on Tracer and found a dark web of connections to conservative operatives and organizations. Read what we found out about Dawn Downs on our website where we also have the story behind the Justice for Jason billboards you see as you enter Fort Collins from I25.
IndivisibleNOCO wants a District Attorney who is honest with the constituents and that is one of the many reasons we support Gordon McLaughlin for District Attorney. Please take some time to learn about Gordon McLaughlin’s approach to community safety, transparency, criminal justice reform and gun safety. Because of their success, many of his initiatives have become models for other communities across the country. Electing Dawn Downs would be a setback for Larimer County and as we all know – WE ARE NOT GOING BACK!
Following the money on Tracer we found a dark web of connections between Dawn and conservative organizations.
For example, her campaign’s registered agent is Katie Kennedy. Katie Kennedy is a lobbyist and the registered agent for almost 100 right-wing PACs. The stated purpose of many of the PACs is to support the election of Republican candidates for federal, state and local offices. Other PACs managed by Katie Kennedy support conservate agendas or oppose progressive issues on the ballot. Katie Kennedy herself has contributed to Republican candidates and PACs.
Dawn Downs’s own past campaign contributions have been to the Larimer County Republican Party, Republican candidates for District Attorney and to the current Sheriff.
Justice for Jason is a PAC with the express purpose of opposing the re-election of Gordon McLaughlin and supporting Dawn Downs. The registered agents for this PAC are Marge Klein and Tammy Klein, both of whom are associated with SWS Polifi, a company that provides, among other campaign services, marketing for campaigns (see accompanying article on Justice for Jason billboards). The company also makes campaign donations to conservative candidates and PACs such as Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion group. Marge Klein and Tammy Klein also contribute to conservative candidates and PACs.
Republicans clearly want to take back the District Attorney’s Office. IndivisibleNOCO believes that Dawn Downs knows she cannot win as a Republican so she is running as an unaffiliated candidate. The reason we do not support her is not because she is really a Republican. We just expect District Attorneys to be honest with their constituents.
We support Gordon McLaughlin because of his integrity and because his office has demonstrated that criminal justice is not at odds with social justice. Please take some time to learn about his approach to community safety, transparency, criminal justice reform and gun safety. Because of their success, many of his initiatives have become models for other communities across the country. Electing Dawn Downs would be a setback for Larimer County and as we all know – WE ARE NOT GOING BACK!
What is the story behind the Justice for Jason billboards?
Sadly, in 2023, Jason Telleen, a fueler at Fort Collins Transfort maintenance and fueling facility was killed when he was hit by a Transfort bus driven by another maintenance employee at the facility. Fort Collins Police Services investigated the incident, determined it was an accident and recommended no charges be filed against the driver.
The District Attorney’s Office dedicated 11 attorneys to reviewing the evidence and agreed it would not file charges because the facts did not rise to the criminal level. District Attorney McLaughlin said:
“The reliable information the (prosecution) acted upon is that this … is not a case that met our legal and ethical burden [to prosecute]. If the facts do not meet the law, then we can’t file that case, no matter how much of a tragedy it is or how much our hearts go out to the family, and they do.”
Telleen’s mother, Patricia Telleen, filed a motion to compel prosecution and request a judge appoint a special prosecutor. The judge denied the motion, agreeing that the District Attorney’s office made the correct ruling.
Patricia Telleen formed Justice for Jason. She has contributed about $30,000 to the PAC, which is administered by Marge Klein of SWS Polifi. The PAC was formed initially to prevent the re-election of Gordon McLaughlin and later amended its purpose to include the election of Dawn Downs. Justice for Jason is buying the billboards from Street Media Group in Loveland. According to Tracer, Street Media Group has received about $170,000 from Republican candidates and conservative PACs.
IndivisibleNOCO has deep sympathy for Patricia Telleen. We are all parents and cannot fathom the grief at losing a child. This case represents the tough decisions that District Attorneys face just about every day. Most are in the profession because they want to see justice prevail. At the same time, they are obligated to uphold the law and honor the rights bestowed by our Constitution as well as be careful stewards of the taxpayer resources with which they are entrusted. We support a District Attorney who does not bend the law for his political gain, who protects the innocent from unjust persecution and avoids using taxpayer resources on cases they know will not be successful because the cases do not meet the standards of the law.