501(c)(4) social welfare group circulates information on the Haitzs

The above mailer was recently sent to homes of prospective Grand Junction voters by the Best Slope Leadership Project, a 501 (c) (4) social welfare group based in Grand Junction.

Andrea Haitz and Greg Haitz are a married couple who over the last few years have been seeking more power in Grand Junction. Andrea is currently District 51 School Board President and Greg is trying to get onto Grand Junction City Council in the upcoming election.

Greg Haitz started the anti-vaccine group Stop the Mandate GJ during the pandemic, a fringe, right-wing group that that got kicked off of social media sites for spreading misinformation about Covid vaccines. When he tried to get the group re-established on Facebook, he instructed followers to use code words in place of words like “vaccine” and “jab” to avoid getting shut down again. He also told users how to post links to articles and web pages that contained misinformation without the links being detected by Facebook. Greg Haitz also sought to profit from the pandemic by marketing his own proprietary brand of supplement that he claimed could help prevent Covid-19. He is currently promoting use of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG), a female pregnancy hormone, for weight loss on his business website, even though HCG is not approved for over-the-counter use, not approved for use without a prescription and not legally approved for weight loss. Greg Haitz is a chiropractor. Chiropractors are not on the list of medical professionals who have prescriptive authority in Colorado.

Andrea Haitz recently violated the Board Members’ Rules of Conduct/Conflict of Interest by sending out a politically-charged mass email denigrating “the left” in Grand Junction and endorsing her husband, for a Grand Junction City Council seat using her official title as District 51 School Board President. The email asked people to donate a minimum of $50 to Greg’s campaign. District 51’s Board Members Rules of Conduct (BCB-E) (pdf) says school board members should not use their position for personal or partisan gain.

Andrea Haitz’s Feb. 15 mass email that violated District 51’s Rules of Conduct for Board Members

  23 comments for “501(c)(4) social welfare group circulates information on the Haitzs

  1. Joe Burley

    about the disclosure…on his latest effort against the Haitzs, he states that he is not affiliated with any candidate. I am wondering if he stated that on his 2021 voters guide…that’s what I’m curious about but I cant access the website. It was only by accident that I found out that he was a campaign manager because he was pictured with her on election night.

    As far as crazy Christians…when I read the characterizations made by Ann and people on this site I just sigh and wonder how we have come to this place and I have to admit I’m glad that the side you don’t like is pushing back and giving you all a run for your money.

  2. What awful people. I did not know about this group, best slope leadership project and I’m glad they are calling them out on this crap.

    I am changing jobs and have the opportunity to work in Montrose or grand junction. The jobs are about the same. So it’s going to come down to the town. I did not think I can live in Grand Junction with thisstuff going on.

    • I’m just wondering if it would change your thinking if you knew that the guy who sent out this flyer was the campaign manager for a woman who lost to Andrea Haitz in the last school board election.

      I like to ask questions like…why does he hide behind an assumed name?
      Does he have any skeletons in his closet? Why does he have such disdain for conservative Christians?

      Never take anything at face value.

      • His name is right there on the card. “”Paid for by Best Slope Leadership Project, Registered Agent Pasquale Verrastro”

        Are you saying that Pasquale Verrastro is not his real name?

        You seem awfully focused on the source of the card over the veracity of the claims contained thereon. It’s really not surprising that someone who ran a campaign for a candidate against Andrea Haitz would continue his political endeavors in opposition to her.

        And where do you see disdain? He says they “fast track[ed] a religious-affiliated charter school with curriculum from the extreme right national organization Hillsdale College.” Where’s the lie? Where’s the disdain? He doesn’t even say the word “Christian” anywhere.

        • I wish I could read your comment while I reply. I’m doing this on a phone and Ann’s format is weird.

          I happen to have found quotes from his 2021 campaign guide where he disparaged the “new crop” of crazy religious people trying to brainwash the naive locals (I’m paraphrasing).

          I found this on Ann’s blog. One cannot access his website any more…it’s gone.
          I wonder if he scrubbed it because he didn’t disclose that he was a candidate’s campaign manager.

          Maybe Ann has disclosed his background before but this time she presented his group as some kind of social welfare group which could be considered deceiving.

          This is all to be expected in politics and since I’m new…it’s interesting to get to know the players and the tactics. And I’m habitually skeptical.

          When we rolled into Grand Junction two years ago I had no idea what was beneath the surface.

          Ps…I don’t know if I actually answered your questions.

          • His name is on the card. Surely one can’t be expected to reveal all past associations every time one uses one’s name. He disclosed that he was a campaign manager on the official filed documents for the campaign. Why would he need to continue disclosing that on his future endeavors? The campaign is over, which is the reason I assume he took down the website.

            A 501(c)(4) is defined by the IRS, not Anne, as “organized and operated for social welfare purposes.” Ann linked to the secretary of state filing for the 501(c)(4) that listed his name as well as more information about the group. It’s hard to understand what more you can ask for in terms of transparency.

            As to the quotes about the “new crop” of crazy religious people, I suppose that is all up to personal discernment. If you have been here two years maybe those of us who have been here longer have more to say about a “new crop” or our experiences with the crazy religious people here.

        • PS
          I have acknowledged elsewhere that his claims about the drugs Dr Haitz is peddling and Andrea’s endorsement of her husband’s campaign using her status as school board president were ill-advised and possibly illegal.

          • Alice, Haitz is no more a doctor than I’m the man in the moon. He’s a fake and a real danger to our body politic.

      • I am often asked about “disdain for conservative Christians.” Here’s my take. When I was coming up, the Son of God, oft quoted in my red-letter-edition New Testament, respected and fed the poor, raised the dead, threw out the money lenders, was in His early thirties, unmarried, encouraging (male) followers. Now, these very conservative Christians, many of whom support white nationalist, despotic leaders, would gladly smite a person who met Jesus’ demographic profile. What happened to y’all?

      • And yet you take Boebert’s word that she’s a conservative Christian? That’s funny.

        And it’s fact that ‘Andrea’ did break the bylaws. It’s right there in her emails.

        What does it take to open your eyes???

  3. A new business should make the local chamber members happy!

    The advantage of a 501(c)4 nonprofit is that supports engaging in some political activities so long as they align with the nonprofit’s mission, and donations are tax deductible.

    The Colorado Secretary of State lists BEST SLOPE LEADERSHIP PROJECT as a business in good standing.

    • Yes, but it really doesn’t say anything about the organization. Ann called it a social welfare something something. What the heck is that?

      So I did some sleuthing and found out that Pasquale Verastro, the registered agent (and only member) of this group was the campaign manager for Trish Mahre, who lost her bid for school board member to Andrea Haitz.
      Amazing what a little googling will uncover!

      Mind you…I am not disputing all of the claims this guy is making, but I do notice they are the very same claims made by Ann earlier this month.

      And that makes me wonder if perhaps they know each other.

      • You know that Anne provided a link to the Secretary of State for the organization, right? There really is nothing being hidden from you. And why would it surprise you if Anne knows Pasquale Verrastro? It’s a small town and I would imagine they have some similar values and opinions.

        • There is nothing on the secretary of state website that describes the nature of the organization.

          Most civic groups have some kind of information about their activity. His websites are down…no social media except an Instagram related to rock climbing.

          Also he borrowed all I’d his claims about the Haitzs from Ann.

          Trusted source?
          not so much.

          But it probably won’t matter. The lines have been drawn. We’ll know on Tuesday.

  4. I looked up the BEST SLOPE LEADERSHIP PROJECT and there is nothing to be found…nothing about the founder, either.

    Since they are apparently interested in transparency, it would be good if they followed suit.

    Just sayin’

  5. I’m sooooo tired of the right preaching family values and Christianity and then taking advantage of people too naive or dumb to know better.

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