Head of Colorado Republicans sues party members who want to oust him

Dave Williams, chair of the Colorado Republican Party, is suing two party officials who are leading an effort to oust him.

The lawsuit, filed in Arapahoe County District Court, asks the court to prevent Nancy Pallozzi and Todd Watkins from misrepresenting official party business. It comes after Watkins called a meeting for July 27, when members of the party’s central committee would vote on whether to remove Williams and other party officials from leadership positions. Party executives determined last week that the meeting is “illegal.”

Watkins is vice chair of the El Paso County Republican Party. Pallozzi is chair of the Jefferson County Republican Party.

State party leaders determined the Watkins-called meeting is invalid according to state law and party bylaws, but state law is silent on how the party can enforce the decision against “noncompliant members,” the lawsuit says. It asks the court to step in.

“Here, particularly amidst the political climate and looming elections of 2024, the irreparable harm to (the party) should rogue party members against whom a final judgment which bars them from misrepresenting themselves as conducting official (party) business has already been rendered, is facially self-evident.”

Pallozzi told Newsline in an interview Friday that the July 27 meeting is still on.

Colorado Politics first reported the lawsuit.

The primary complaints from those looking to unseat Williams are that he did not relinquish his position as head of the party when he entered a race for Congress, even though the dual positions created a conflict of interest; that the state party under his leadership eliminated a tradition of neutrality in primary races and instead endorsed Williams and other favored candidates; that the state party spent money on behalf of Williams in his primary race against a fellow Republican; and that the state party under Williams has engaged in anti-LGBTQ and other messaging that could alienate voters.

Williams lost the June 25 primary election in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District. A day later, the organizers of the effort to oust him submitted a petition and request for a vote on removing him as head of the party.

Party bylaws say that if at least a quarter of voting members in the GOP’s central committee sign onto a request for a special meeting, the meeting must be called within 10 days of the request and held within 30 days of the call. If the chairman doesn’t call a meeting, any voting member can do so, according to the bylaws.

Pallozzi — who specified that she was speaking to a reporter in her personal capacity and not on behalf of the Jefferson County Republicans — said many of the more than 100 Republicans who signed the petition to call a vote on Williams’ status have been “threatened” by supporters of Williams.

“They’re bullying people and they’re nasty. And it’s turning out to be a very sad situation,” she said.

Asked if she personally received bullying communication, Pallozzi said, “Oh, yes, absolutely.”

“As a person, I felt I did what I needed to do, and I don’t regret what I did, and I would do it again if I had to just to save what’s happening here in our state with the Republican Party,” she said.

Williams did not immediately reply to a request for comment. An attempt to reach Watkins was unsuccessful.

The lawsuit recounts that Pallozzi in early June sent an email to party members from a party-owned platform demanding Williams’ resignation and threatening a vote to oust him. She also solicited signatures for a petition to call a vote on removing Williams. Her own county party’s executive committee censured her, saying her actions regarding Williams were “null and void and all the results and/or consequences are revoked and retracted, including petitions, surveys, etc.”

Pallozzi said that while she used the party email platform to distribute a link to collect petition signatures, the link went to a personal Google sheet. Other people also collected signatures that were compiled in that document, she said.

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Follow Colorado Newsline on Facebook and X.