DENVER POST: Gardner Uses “Hollow Shell” Validator That Environmentalists “Never Heard Of” in Greenwashing Ad

The Wilderness Society: “Not only have we not worked with this group, or ever heard of them before, it appears that their website is a hollow shell that lacks any substance and was only recently created”

“Wild for Colorado was founded...the same day Gardner introduced his Great American Outdoors Act,” just five months ago

Denver, CO - The Denver Post is out with an explosive new report, undermining Senator Cory Gardner’s latest attempt to greenwash his abysmal environmental record by astroturfing a fake conservation organization. 

Gardner’s latest desperate and deceptively titled campaign ad “Both Parties” features not one, but two individuals who are not who they appear to be. According to the Post, “both people in the ad are registered Republicans and the woman, who is cited as an environmental advocate, founded a group five months ago that has no history of environmental work. Environmentalists who have advocated here for decades say they’ve never heard of it.”

Allie Killey, who claims to be a conservationist in the ad, is actually a Republican staffer who popped up a “hollow shell” sham organization that no real environmental organizations had “ever heard of.” This legislative aide to notorious Hickenlooper-hater and environmental foe Republican State Senator Paul Lundeen suspiciously founded her for-profit organization the exact “same day Gardner introduced his Great American Outdoors Act” just five months ago. The group has shown no “history of environmental work” and “its Facebook page is listed as a ‘personal blog’ with four fans.” 

To no surprise, “Gardner’s campaign declined to comment.”

His atrocious environmental record earned him a lifetime score of 11% from the League of Conservation Voters and a spot on their signature “Dirty Dozen” list, for the second election in a row.

See highlights below or the full article HERE.

Denver Post: When "both parties" doesn't really mean both parties
By Justin Wingerter | August 20, 2020

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner’s latest TV ad, titled “Both Parties,” alternates between the narration of two individuals — a man whose name is in blue, a woman whose name is in red — giving viewers the impression his environmental work has the support of both major political parties.

But both people in the ad are registered Republicans and the woman, who is cited as an environmental advocate, founded a group five months ago that has no history of environmental work. Environmentalists who have advocated here for decades say they’ve never heard of it.

The man in the ad is Larry Kramer, a former deputy director of the state parks department. His name appears in blue throughout the ad, but his Facebook page shows he is a Republican who shares Republican posts and has a friends list that’s a who’s who of prominent Colorado Republicans.

The woman in the ad is Allie Killey, founder of Wild for Colorado. Until recently, Killey was a legislative aide for state Sen. Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican who has sought multiple audits and investigations into Gardner’s opponent, John Hickenlooper.

Wild for Colorado was founded as a limited liability company March 9 — the same day Gardner introduced his Great American Outdoors Act, the bill she touts in the ad — and is based out of a house in Golden. Its Facebook page is listed as a “personal blog” with four fans and the extent of its advocacy work appears to be one ringing political endorsement, for Gardner.

Killey and Wild for Colorado did not respond to requests for comment. Gardner’s campaign declined to comment.

I contacted a half-dozen of Colorado’s most prominent environmental groups; none were familiar with Wild for Colorado. In the world of environmental advocacy, where collaborations are common, no one knew of the group or Killey before Gardner’s ad appeared a week ago.

“Not only have we not worked with this group, or ever heard of them before, it appears that their website is a hollow shell that lacks any substance and was only recently created,” said Jennifer Dickson with The Wilderness Society. “…This group appears to be a mystery to all.”

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