Cohen recall petition deemed sufficient following protest hearing

Jun. 7—A recall election against Ward 5 Broomfield City Councilmember Todd Cohen will move forward this November after the validity of a petition was deemed sufficient following a protest hearing last week.

Hearing officer Karen Goldman released her final conclusions on Monday.

"No sufficient evidence or testimony of failure on the part of the petition representatives, the circulator affidavit, the petition circulators or any other subject was presented during this administrative hearing," said Goldman in her decision letter.

The group behind the recall also sought to recall Councilmember Heidi Henkel, but she is already on the ballot this November for reelection to her Ward 5 seat.

Cohen was appointed to his Ward 5 seat in 2021 and elected to a four-year term in November of the same year. Those petitioning for the recall claim that he supported a homeless camp 2,000 feet from a high school, and disagree with Cohen's support of gun legislation passed in January. They also cited the placement of industrialized water tanks in Broomfield as a reason for the recall.

"The hearing officer's findings are what I fully anticipated," Cohen said of the findings. "However, the hearing itself was the most revealing as the recall petitioners' dodged answering to the fact they lied about Councilmember Henkel and myself about a homeless camp. They refused to testify saying they would incriminate themselves if they did, and they dodged responsibility saying the law doesn't require them to be truthful. This is after they admitted on their website 10 times they got it wrong."

Those petitioning for the recall were not available for comment.