Colorado NAACP, League of Women Voters of Colorado, and Mi Familia Vota v. United States Election Integrity Plan

Free Speech For People represents Colorado Montana Wyoming State Area Conference of the NAACP (NAACP Colorado), League of Women Voters of Colorado (LWVCO), and Mi Familia Vota (MFV) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Colorado against the United States Election Integrity Plan (USEIP), an extremist organization with ties to QAnon and the January 6th Capitol Insurrection, and USEIP’s three founders. The plaintiffs are seeking to stop USEIP’s illegal voter intimidation campaign in Colorado.

The court has rejected efforts by USEIP’s founders to defeat the lawsuit. On January 23, 2023, the court dismissed the defamation and abuse of process counterclaims. Then on January 31, the court denied the defendants’ motion for judgment on the pleadings and, with one exception, the defendants’ motion for summary judgment. Since USEIP is an unincorporated association, the case will proceed against USEIP’s founders. With the counterclaims dismissed and the court agreeing that the core voter intimidation claims may proceed, the case may now proceed to trial.

Free Speech For People is pleased to partner with the law firm of Lathrop GPM in this litigation.

Key Facts

Background

III

Major Case Developments and Documents

Key Facts

Caption	Colorado Montana Wyoming State Area Conference of the NAACP, League of Women Voters of Colorado, and Mi Familia Vota v. United States Election Integrity Plan, Shawn Smith, Ashley Epp, and Holly Kasun
Court	Federal District Court of Colorado
Docket No.	1:22-cv-00581
Status	Trial scheduled for February 5, 2024
Plaintiffs	Colorado Montana Wyoming State Area Conference of the NAACP, League of Women Voters of Colorado, and Mi Familia Vota
Defendants	United States Election Integrity Plan, Shawn Smith, Ashley Epp, and Holly Kasun

Background

In this lawsuit, plaintiffs Colorado Montana Wyoming State Conference of the NAACP (NAACP Colorado), League of Women Voters of Colorado (LWV Colorado) and Mi Familia Vota (MFV) are suing to protect themselves and the voters in their communities from illegal voter intimidation and harassment.

The United States Election Integrity Plan (USEIP), an extremist organization with ties to the January 6 Capitol insurrection, is using voter lists to identify and target voters. They are going to voters’ homes, and intimidating voters on their own doorsteps for having voted in the 2020 election. USEIP agents question voters about their method of vote, interrogate them about so-called fraudulent ballots, have levied baseless accusations of fraud against voters, and take photographs of voters’ homes, which the organization maintains in a database. USEIP also has sought to coordinate their teams to encourage armed members to join their door-to-door campaign. The organization maintains a “County & Local Organizing Playbook,” setting forth its principles, goals, and instructions for its volunteers, which make it clear that USEIP tactics include violent and intimidating behavior in an attempt to find support for their baseless and disproven claims of election fraud.

As Colorado prepares for its 2022 midterm elections, USEIP’s campaign mean that Coloradans who vote will do so knowing that they risk experiencing future intimidation in their own homes.

USEIP’s intimidation efforts particularly impact communities of color, which have historically faced institutionalized barriers, violent threats, and intimidation for exercising their right to vote.

We are asking the federal court for immediate relief, declaring that USEIP’s voter intimidation campaign is unlawful under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Klu Klux Klan Act of 1871, and ordering USEIP and its leaders to cease and desist their intimidation campaign.

Free Speech For People is honored to represent NAACP Colorado, LWV Colorado, and MFV, and is pleased to partner with the law firm of Lathrop GPM in this litigation.

Read the Press Release