Charles Ashby
The following opinion column by longtime political reporter for the Daily Sentinel, Charles Ashby, is reprinted here in full with permission from the Sentinel’s publisher. The original article is here, on the Sentinel’s website. It is a rare opinion column by Ashby, who has been a news reporter for 45 years, and who has covered politics for about half that time. It describes the unprecedented way District 3 Republican U.S. House Representative-elect Jeff Hurd treated journalists attending his watch party on election night, Nov. 5, 2024.
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In all my nearly 50 years in journalism, about half of which was in covering politics in Colorado, I’ve never heard of what happened during U.S. Rep.-elect Jeff Hurd’s election night watch party occurring anywhere else.
While it’s not uncommon to corral the media at political events, or even bar them from entry, what Hurd’s campaign did to the print, radio and television press at The Warehouse 25Sixty-five Kitchen & Bar on Tuesday night was unprecedented.
I wasn’t at that event, we had another reporter manning that assignment, but I’ve attended many such election night events at that and other locations.
This time, however, the Hurd campaign sequestered the media in a curtained area away from everyone, but then required any of them to be escorted by a Hurd staffer if they attempted to go anywhere in the establishment, including to the bathroom.
Nancy Lofholm, long-time journalist who used to work for this newspaper and was covering the event for the Colorado Sun said she, too, had never experienced anything like it.
“My one-word summation of that gathering would be ‘weird,’” Lofholm told me.
Jeffrey S. Hurd
“From the giant lanyard things hung on us at the door, to being herded up to the dark-curtained press pen, to being shepherded everywhere by an overeager young intern, including out the front door, it was just weird,” she added. “And then to have Hurd come in to the pen for a brief interview that included a statement that ‘I will be accessible to the media.’ On what terms? As a political newbie, does he maybe not realize that this is not normal?”
Our own reporter here at the Sentinel, Jace DiCola, said something similar.
He’s new to the profession, only about a year in after graduating from Colorado Mesa University. The day after, he asked me about it, wondering if that was the normal way that politicians handle the media at such events.
Absolutely not, I told him.
“Because this is the first election I’ve covered, I didn’t know what to make of the ‘conditions’ Hurd’s campaign put in place for the media representatives who showed up for Tuesday’s watch party co-hosted by Hurd and Mesa County Commissioner Cody Davis,” DiCola said.
“The 10 or so reporters from various newspapers and TV stations were sequestered in a makeshift room on the venue’s second floor, where we could not leave without a Hurd staffer’s direct supervision,” he added. “Yes, that included using the restroom.”
Further, those members of the media were told that if they happened to hear something through the curtains, that they were to treat it as off the record unless they gained specific permission from the Hurd campaign, which, by the way ignored two of my inquires into the matter over the past couple of days.
In my years, I’ve seen various politicians try to freeze out certain reporters, ones they don’t like.
The most recent incident occurred during the Colorado Republican Party’s state assembly in April when party Chairman Dave Williams ejected Colorado Sun reporter Sandra Fish for that very reason.
When that would happen at the Colorado Legislature, the rest of the Legislative Press Corps would unify behind that reporter, making it clear that what you do to one, you do to all. We also remind them, as Hurd should know, that kind of behavior doesn’t display any sense of transparency, unless, of course, he has no interest in being transparent.
Warehouse 2565 in Grand Junction, near American Furniture Warehouse
When Hurd finally came to that media corral, he was at least pleasant, DiCola told me.
“Hurd was pleasant, going so far as emphasizing the important role journalists play in holding elected officials accountable,” DiCola said, quoting Hurd saying: “As a general matter, you’re going to get somebody that tries to be serious, hard-working, well-prepared and accessible, also to the media.”
“You guys are part of what helps hold us accountable,” Hurd added. “You’re a way that citizens and my bosses, the people of your congressional district, can see whether or not I’m doing an effective job. So, that’s what you’ll get from me.”
Hurd’s words sharply contrast his actions and how the press was treated throughout the evening.
I’ve met Hurd on numerous occasions since he entered the race, and I’ve often dealt with his campaign manager, Nick Bayer. At no time did I sense any guile, and never would have expected either man to try to control the press.
While I saw U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert ignore the media, or even bar them from certain events, she never did anything like this.
Boebert, like President-elect Donald Trump isn’t a fan of the media, everyone knows that. But I never thought that Hurd was, too.
What are you crying about the Colorado republican party took our vote in primary (Ted cruz) 2024 took Trump off the ballot they stand up for nothing!what is your problem? You call them fascist then complain about your treatment,I would have kicked you out immediately and wipe my ass with the daily sentinel
I believe that. You seem the type to have problems with normal hygiene.
It’s amazing that Charles has been able to earn a living writing, given his confusing and incoherent style.
BHH, I need you to focus. As I tell my students, that’s irrelevant. “Charles’s” writing has nothing to do with the fact that Hurd is following the neofacist playbook to the letter.
Charles’s opinion piece was an ill begotten rant with no particular point.
He wasn’t even there.
His sentences weren’t well constructed (read his final paragraph) and he never gave us a clear vision of how these events are “supposed” to go. Since he’s a reporter with such a storied career, he certainly should have done that and then given us a notion of how this was different.
And while I’m on the subject, I would say that your first two sentences don’t follow. And your use of the term
“neo-fascist playbook” in reference to Hurd’s watch party is silly.
Yeah, I’m not sure a local blog troll has the authority to issue such pronouncements…. at least not if he is hoping to be taken seriously.
Maybe go troll Facebook? Plenty of friends for you there, BHH.
Bad Hat, everything you write is an ill begotten rant. Quit whining and reread it if you didn’t understand it.
Bad Hat, everything you write is an ill begotten rant. Quit whining about not understanding it and reread it.
“I’ve met Hurd on numerous occasions since he entered the race, and I’ve often dealt with his campaign manager, Nick Bayer. At no time did I sense any guile, and never would have expected either man to try to control the press.”
I hope Mr. Ashby has learned to never trust any republican.
Warehouse 2565 was either taken over by MAGA shortly after opening or went along willingly, once I realized this I never patronized again. While hurd and the GOP goons paid for the venue, this is a stain on them, too – or, a badge of honor (I’m voting for that one).
I’m surprised the journalists didn’t leave. Looks like they interviewed each other and had to listen to Hurd’s BS. Hurd, who had a good reputation in the legal community, has gone full MAGA. Some people in office are not corrupted, but he fell over himself really fast on his way to prostrating himself. At least Boebert was interesting.