Colorado
Editorial: Colorado’s leaked password scandal needs outside investigation
Between Oct. 23 when Secretary of State Jena Griswold became aware that hundreds of voting machine passwords had been released publicly on a spreadsheet and Nov. 1 when Gov. Jared Polis intervened to demand the passwords be changed, what exactly was Griswold doing to address the security breach?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Because this feels a lot like déjà vu with Jena Griswold.
In 2022 when we endorsed Griswold’s Republican opponent we wrote: “Griswold has left us unimpressed with her unwillingness to address problems and issues as they arise and even a reluctance to admit when mistakes have been made, or things could be improved.”
Here we are two years later in the midst of one of the most closely scrutinized elections of all time and Griswold’s team makes a crucial error and the secretary of state sits on it for at least a week before taking action.
We’re perplexed by the entire ordeal.
Colorado’s elections are very secure – every voter casts a paper ballot that is retained for recounts and risk-limiting audits. Those ballots are public record and can be cross-checked with the public list of participating voters to ensure the numbers add up and to ensure the voters are real, eligible, alive Coloradans.
The passwords leaked were one of two needed to access the voting machines and the machines are stored in secure areas kept under constant surveillance.
All of this means it is unlikely that any harm came from the passwords being publicly released beginning as early as Aug. 8 and ending Oct. 23.
However, it doesn’t take a conspiracy theorist to believe it’s possible the passwords weren’t leaked on accident. Did a rogue secretary of state employee – someone with delusions of grandeur on the scale of former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters – intentionally release the passwords? Was the intent to cast a pall on the election or was he or she conspiring with someone else – Democrat or Republican — to breach election machines?
These unanswered questions are why an external investigation is needed. Griswold has said she will hire an external company to review the incident, but we think the investigation needs to be beyond her control entirely. Gov. Jared Polis has done an excellent job stepping up in Griswold’s absence on this issue and he should do so again by having the investigator spur from his office.
Peters used her role as clerk to give someone access to the voting machines in Mesa County and steal data related to the election. No real harm came from her antics and the data proved what most Coloradans already knew – the elections were secure and valid.
But that didn’t stop Peters from jetting off around the country claiming she had proof that the 2020 election was stolen.
In a similar vein, it was someone involved with discrediting the 2020 election on behalf of former President Donald Trump who first discovered the passwords in a hidden sheet on a database of election equipment that could be downloaded from the secretary of state’s website. Shawn Smith signed an affidavit that was sent to Griswold’s office on Oct. 29 stating he had downloaded the spreadsheets on Aug. 8, Oct. 16 and Oct. 23. The link to the spreadsheets was taken down on Oct. 24 when Griswold’s office noticed the passwords, but no information was released officially about the link until after Smith and the Colorado Republican Party sent out public notices about the passwords they had obtained.
Coloradans deserve to know exactly how and why the passwords were released whether it was a simple mistake, negligence or a nefarious act.
Griswold and Polis have assured Coloradans that no voting machines were compromised — the fear being of course that someone inside a county clerk’s office used the passwords, combined with theirs and their access to the machines to upload malware that could interfere with the integrity of ballot counting.
We need someone to review the security tapes and investigate just as we did following the Peters’ security breach in Mesa County. Tina Peters was sentenced to 9 years behind bars for her data breach, based in large part on the investigation into her actions led by Griswold. This security breach should be investigated just as thoroughly, as should be Griswold’s lack of response.
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Former Colorado Buffaloes stars Sebastian Rancik and Bangot Dak announced their transfer portal decisions on Sunday with Rancik committing to Florida State and Dak committing to Vanderbilt, per On3’s Joe Tipton. They join former Buffs guard Isaiah Johnson (now at Texas) as the third former Colorado player to leave the Big 12 conference as Rancik opts for the ACC and Dak heads to the SEC.
The trio of Johnson, Rancik, and Dak make up three of Colorado’s four most productive players with rising senior guard Barrington Hargress, and the Buffs are now tasked with replacing such production with Hargress as the only returner.
Rancik’s season ended prematurely with an injury, but he averaged 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Buffs. Dak was Colorado’s leading rebounder with 6.5 boards per game, scoring 11.5 points per contest as well.
While each player has his respective reasons for transferring, the most expected ones are for seeking better NIL deals or more development on a better team in a better league. The Buffs finished 12th in the Big 12, and the allure of the SEC was too strong for the program to hold onto key talent like Johnson and Dak.
Still, Colorado coach Tad Boyle proved his ability to recruit and build up a solid core, one that saw its headliners of Johnson, Dak, and Rancik all depart in the portal. Can he do it again?
Colorado Buffaloes Roster Outlook
Boyle and the Buffaloes did retain Hargress as well as three freshmen guards: Jalin Holland, Ian Inman, and Josiah Sanders.
As a freshman, Holland averaged 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game as one of Colorado’s key pieces coming off of the bench. Meanwhile, Sanders appeared in 33 games as a constant presence in the Buffs backcourt, averaging 4.4 points and 1.7 assists per game.
Inman played the fewest minutes of the returning trio, but he flashed with a couple of double-digit scoring performances as a true freshman.
“When I think of those three together, I think of toughness. I think of the improvement they made over the course of the season and the togetherness they have. They’re great friends and have formed a bond during their freshman year. Their toughness, energy and work ethic, when you have those attributes to go along with talent, which they all have, you get a chance to have three really good sophomores next year that will take the next step,” Boyle said in a release announcing the return of the three freshmen.
With eight outgoing transfers to replace, the Buffaloes will certainly have a new look to them for the 2026-27 season.
Colorado has landed one transfer portal prospect so far in former North Dakota State foward Noah Feddersen. On the recruiting trail, Boyle and company are bringing in four-star forward Rider Portela as well as two prospects from the NBL in Australia: forward Goc Malual and guard Alex Dickeson.
The transfer portal for men’s college basketball closes on Tuesday, April 21, meaning players have to enter their names by then. Transfer athletes do not have to commit before the portal closes, though, so Colorado is expected to continue hosting prospects on visits while building out the roster.
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Colorado
Colorado faces LA in first round as Kings captain Anze Kopitar embarks on final Stanley Cup chase
DENVER — Anze Kopitar wrapped up the last regular season of his storied career. The Los Angeles Kings captain wants to prolong his final playoff run for as long as possible.
Kopitar, who announced in September his plans to retire, instantly becomes a postseason rallying point for the Kings. They have a tall task ahead of them against the Colorado Avalanche, the top team in the league, with the top goal scorer in Nathan MacKinnon and one of the best defensemen in the game in Cale Makar. Game 1 is Sunday at Ball Arena, where the Avalanche are 26-9-6.
“Playoffs,” said the 38-year-old Kopitar, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Kings. “I’m not going to say anything can happen, but we’ll go in and we’ll play hard and we’ll see where that takes us.”
This will be the third postseason series between the two teams and the first in 24 years. Colorado won in seven games during both the 2002 conference quarterfinals and the 2001 conference semifinals.
It’s been a record season for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche as they amassed the most points (121) in franchise history. That broke the mark set by the 2022 team, which went on to win the Stanley Cup title. MacKinnon had a career-best 53 goals.
Goaltenders Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood shared the net this season and surrendered a league low in goals. They earned the William M. Jennings Trophy, which is presented to the goalies who have played a minimum of 25 games — Wedgewood suited up in 45 and Blackwood 39 — for the team with the fewest goals allowed. The other goaltender to win that honor for Colorado was Hall of Famer Patrick Roy (2001-02).
“We’re in a good spot,” Colorado forward Brock Nelson said. “The mentality of this group throughout the year, right from the start of training camp, (was) set on a mission to be the best team.”
Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates the goal against Edmonton Oilers goalie Connor Ingram (39) during shoot-out NHL action, in Edmonton on Monday, April 13, 2026. Credit: AP/JASON FRANSON
Record against each other
The Kings went 0-3 against Colorado this season and were outscored by a 13-5 margin.
“You hear the hype. They have good players,” Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke said. “We’re a scrappy team. We keep it close with everybody. That can really frustrate them.”
Leading after two
The Avalanche were 41-0-0 when leading after two periods. They’re the first squad to have a lead after two periods on 40 or more instances and capture each one, according to team research.
“Even though we’ve been smart, we’ve been committed, we’ve been relentless at times, it’s going to have to go to a whole new level now,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “I have faith in our guys.”
Los Angeles Kings’ Anze Kopitar, who is retiring after this season, acknowledges the crowd after being recognized after losing to the Vancouver Canucks during overtime NHL hockey action in Vancouver, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Credit: AP/DARRYL DYCK
Remember the season opener?
Six grueling months ago, the Avalanche and Kings opened the season against each other. The Avalanche won 4-1 in Los Angeles behind a pair of goals from Martin Necas, who would go on to register his first 100-point season (38 goals, 62 assists).
The two teams join an exclusive club by becoming the fifth pair since 2015-16 to open the regular season and the playoffs against each other, according to NHL Stats. The other pairs to do so were Montreal and Toronto (2020-21); Colorado and St. Louis (2020-21); St. Louis and Winnipeg (2018-19); and Los Angeles and San Jose (2015-16).
Of those teams that won the season opener only San Jose went on to win the series. It’s a trend Kopitar and the Kings wouldn’t mind joining.
Kopitar and the playoffs
Kopitar helped the Kings to the Stanley Cup title in 2011-12 and 2013-14 along with goaltender Jonathan Quick, who now is with the New York Rangers and recently said he’s retiring. Kopitar has played in 103 postseason games with 27 goals and 62 assists.
“The intensity ramps up, everything ramps up,” Kopitar said of the postseason. “Every mistake, every little play, magnifies now.”
Familiar faces
Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper was in net for the Avalanche when they won the Stanley Cup in 2022. In addition, Kuemper and Drew Doughty were teammates with MacKinnon, Makar and Devon Toews when Canada won silver at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
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