WELD COUNTY, Colo. – The former chairman of the Colorado Republican Party is charged with forgery and voter fraud for allegedly forging his wife’s mail-in ballot from last year’s election, according to court records and sources.
Steven Curtis was the chairman of the state party from 1997 to 1999. He was charged Feb. 1 with one count of forgery of a public record, a fifth-degree felony, and an elections mail-in ballot offense, a misdemeanor.
The criminal complaint for his arrest says that Curtis tampered with a 2016 General Election mail-in ballot. Sources tell Denver7 that he signed the ballot, which was his wife’s, with her name, which led to the forgery charge.
The misdemeanor charge stems from him allegedly filling out her ballot.
If convicted, Curtis faces a maximum of between 1 and 3 years’ incarceration for the forgery charge and up to 18 months and a $5,000 fine on the misdemeanor charge.
Curtis was most-recently back in the Colorado political spectrum in 2011, when he oversaw the advisory board for the Denver Tea Party Patriots.
The Colorado Secretary of State's Office says this is the only voter fraud case that has ended in charges stemming from last year's election.
Curtis spoke about voter fraud ahead of last year’s election.
“It seems to be, and correct me if I’m wrong here, but virtually every case of voter fraud I can remember in my lifetime was committed by Democrats,” he told KLZ 560.
Denver7 reached out to Curtis' lawyer for comment, but Christopher Gregory said he and his client would not be commenting on the case "until the process is finished."
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