Leave it to one of the state Senate’s co-apologists in chief for the criminal element, Democratic Sen. Mike Weissman of Aurora, to defend the honor of the Southern Poverty Law Center. 

That’s the Montgomery, Ala.-based activist group that made national headlines last week when it was indicted by a federal grand jury on 11 counts of wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. The center, founded in the Civil Rights era, purports to monitor “hate” groups around the country but lost credibility long ago for affixing “hate” labels to just about any group whose politics it didn’t like.

A U.S. Justice Department announcement on the indictment quoted FBI Director Kash Patel as saying the center “allegedly engaged in a massive fraud operation to deceive their donors” and “enrich themselves.” The center claims to take on violent extremist groups but, Patel said, “actually turned around and paid the leaders of these very extremist groups — even utilizing the funds to have these groups facilitate the commission of state and federal crimes.”

Don’t tell that to Weissman, though. As reported by The Gazette, he called the federal indictment an “example of the federal regime weaponizing the apparatus of government against disfavored organizations or viewpoints.”

In fact, Weissman said it makes the case for his just-introduced Senate Bill 26-176 — which would let people sue federal, state and local officials for alleged constitutional violations. 

Yep, pretty much any official, presumably even himself. He’s calling his bill the “No Kings Act,” but — who knows? — it might even let someone sue the housekeeping staff at the state Capitol if it closes the restroom for cleaning. After all, when you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go.

If that sounds silly — it’s actually much worse. This isn’t just another litigation-friendly bill by Democrats doing a favor to Weissman’s fellow attorneys in the trial lawyers lobby. It stands to cripple public service at every level of government in Colorado.

Weissman might view the Southern Poverty Law Center as a victim of federal persecution and, as noted in The Gazette, pitch his bill as a “remedy.” But if enacted, it’s just as likely to be invoked in response to a host of perceived grievances, unleashing a suing spree. 

Indeed, as The Gazette reported, groups ranging from the District Attorneys Council to victims’ rights and child welfare advocates oppose the bill, not because of its implications for federal actions but because of its impact on state and local public servants.

“It would create a brand-new vehicle … for plaintiff’s attorneys to take any aggrieved person — one who doesn’t agree with what the librarian did, or the judge did, or the DA did, or the governor did — and be able to sue them in state court,” said Jessica Dotter of the Colorado District Attorneys Council.

While legal precedents may shield officials in federal court, Dotter said there isn’t enough case law to confer immunity on public officials sued in state courts. She added, “it will cost counties a bunch of money to indemnify and insure all of their employees against any potential lawsuit.”

Weissman and his cohorts on the bill — state Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and Reps. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, and Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins — also are sponsoring Senate Bill 26-005, allowing suits against federal immigration officers.

Both measures amount to an invitation to endless litigation — worthy of a veto if they make it to the governor’s desk.