Across the country, overzealous liberal politicians have fueled the flames of stolen-election narratives with self-aggrandizing politics meant to craft their own brand of folk hero.

Secretary of State Jena Griswold is Exhibit A: A self-serving, responsibility-dodging, hyper-partisan actor whose tenure has fostered incompetence and unprecedented staff turnover. But among Democrats and national media, she has carved out a very different image — and has parlayed her cable news prominence into a run for Colorado attorney general.

In this narrative, Griswold is an anti-Trump “resistance” hero — a champion for voting rights who valiantly fights the “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen.

Day after day, Republicans give her what she wants — focusing on spurious attacks rather than real criticisms. In turn, they feed her undeserved status as a democratic icon — enriching Griswold’s campaign war chest and propelling her forward.

Some Colorado Republicans accuse her of rigging elections. Convicted former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters blames Griswold for her imprisonment. MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell called her a “traitor.” Now, the Trump Department of Justice is suggesting Griswold may have deleted election records in violation of federal law — a disproven claim Peters, Lindell and their allies have made for years.

The Justice Department received a complaint alleging Griswold’s office failed to maintain records required under federal law, leading to a May 12 request from the civil rights division, headed by Republican lawyer Harmeet K. Dhillon.

Dhillon’s letter asked Griswold’s office for “all records” relating to 2024 federal elections and certification that no record required for preservation has been “deleted, destroyed or altered.” They also requested they preserve any 2020 election records still in Griswold’s custody.

Under state law, most election records are held by county clerks as their custodians, not the secretary of state.

This request appears driven by Peters’ criminal conviction and nine-year sentence for a 2021 election security breach, and the Justice Department is now investigating the state case.

That makes this especially curious for Dhillon. On May 24, an X user demanded she “should be getting Tina Peters out of jail,” claiming Griswold had “deleted election records” that federal law mandates must be kept for 22 months — and “stripped” Peters of a civil right to “expose the fraud.”

Dhillon’s four-word response? “Muted for sheer ignorance.”

She was right.

Griswold had nothing to do with Peters’ prosecution. That was brought by Mesa County’s Republican district attorney. Moreover, there is no “civil right” to enable unauthorized access secure election facilities under false pretenses, as Peters did. (Hence her four felony convictions — related to identity theft, not saving an election.)

More importantly: Counties retain ballots and other required records for 25 months — three months longer than federal law requires. There is zero evidence that any required election records have been deleted in Colorado.

Peters insisted she was simply “backing up” records that would be deleted in a routine software update. But even if she did that above-board, those records aren’t included in the definition of “election records” clerks must maintain.

Despite nonexistent evidence for Peters’ claims, the Justice Department still felt compelled to investigate. So, why did Dhillon’s office issue the request for election information two weeks before her X exchange?

Perhaps it fulfills President Donald Trump’s directive that the Justice Department review Peters’ state case. Alternatively, it could relate to recent concerns over a redacted 2020 “cast vote record” in Arapahoe County — a transparency tool flubbed by Griswold ally Clerk Joan Lopez, generating fresh suspicion and conspiracy theories.

It’s a fact: Griswold always puts partisanship and self-interest first. She immediately purged nonpartisan staff, installed loyal Democrats and created unprecedented staff turnover. (Example: She’s on her fourth deputy secretary.)

As head of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, she’s helped coordinate a dark money network to bankroll campaigns — including her own.

Griswold coordinated a boycott of Alabama with Planned Parenthood, diverted millions in pandemic relief money to a DC PR firm, and repeatedly executed double standards in campaign finance enforcement — hammering Republicans while giving Democrats a pass.

In 2020, she sued the Post Office over a voter education mailer, claiming then-Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was engaging in “voter suppression” for Trump. In 2024, she championed removing Trump from the ballot.

When sensitive passwords to election systems statewide leaked online last year, Griswold’s first instinct was to cover it up — even keeping it from affected clerks until the press found out.

Yet Griswold has centered her campaign on fighting Trump: “I have a proven track record of standing up to MAGA extremists and Donald Trump, and I hope to continue that as attorney general.”

Let’s be real: Griswold thrives as a folk hero against “The Big Lie.” Every attack over 2020 election conspiracy theories becomes a fundraising and poll-boosting opportunity. She’s already blown away her primary competition.

Republicans have spent years making her into a 2020 election-rigging villain — and Griswold’s cashed in on every word. Now Trump’s Justice Department is making the same mistake.

If Republicans want to beat Jena Griswold, they must target her actual failures — staff purges, partisan double standards, rank incompetence. Instead, they willfully reinforce her phony “resistance fighter” brand.

The irony of such political malpractice runs deep. In chasing Griswold ghosts, Republicans are already handing her the attorney general’s office on a silver platter — and with it, the power to politicize law enforcement for personal political gain.

Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter.