COLORADO SPRINGS — A group of voter organizations has filed a lawsuit in hopes of stopping, what it calls, door-to-door voter intimidation by members of an election integrity group.

According to a complaint filed in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, several Colorado residents have been intimidated and threatened by members of the United States Election Integrity Plan (USEIP).

The complaint was filed by the Colorado Montana Wyoming State Area Conference of the NAACP (NAACP Colorado), League of Women Voters of Colorado (LWVCO), and Mi Familia Vota (MFV) against USEIP.

According to the plaintiffs, members of USEIP were sent to voters’ homes (particularly voters of color and Hispanic voters) where they demanded residents confirm their addresses, their participation in the 2020 election, and also, according to the complaint, accused residents of casting fraudulent ballots.

The complaint also states that several agents carried weapons, such as guns, to scare voters and also wore badges in order to cast the appearance of authority.

“Defendants’ canvassing has the purpose and effect of intimidating Coloradans from voting, trying to vote, helping others to vote, supporting or advocating for certain political beliefs, or exercising the right to speak, peaceably assemble, or petition the government for redress of grievances,” plaintiffs wrote.

Door-to-door canvassing

However, according to a report released by USEIP, door-to-door campaigns were done “professionally” and “objectively.”

“Canvassing involves going door-to-door in selected communities and speaking face-to-face with
the residents of those dwellings,” USEIP wrote in its Colorado Canvassing Report. “The volunteers who performed the canvassing received standardized training on how to professionally and objectively interact with the resident, collect data (about the resident’s November 3, 2020 voting experience), and complete affidavits. Volunteers were issued a standardized script, a walk-list to fill out (i.e., collect data), blank affidavit forms (to document irregularities), and they canvassed in teams of two or more, to ensure their safety and eyewitness accounts for all interactions.”

Despite USEIP’s statement that its canvassing operations were done to “verify the accuracy of the Colorado Secretary of State’s voter rolls and voting history records concerning the November 2020 General Election,” voter organizations say the operation was an attempt to promote false information associated with the “Big Lie,” and uncover “phantom ballots,” that were allegedly the cause of former President Trump losing the 2020 presidential election.

According to USEIP’s canvassing report, volunteers/agents successfully canvassed 4,601 homes in Douglas County, El Paso County, Pueblo County, and Weld County. However, it remains unclear how many homes in each county were canvassed as three out of the four final canvassing results graphs are labeled “Final Canvassing Results (Weld County).”

Ku Klux Klan Act

Furthermore, the complaint alleges door-to-door voter intimidation techniques were in violation of the Ku Klux Klan Act.

According to the complaint, “Defendants are two or more persons who have conspired to prevent Plaintiffs and others who are lawfully entitled to vote from giving their support or advocacy toward the election of electors for president, electors for vice president, and/or members of Congress. Plaintiffs and others who are lawfully entitled to vote have been injured by Defendants’ behavior, which has intimidated and threatened voters and potential voters.”

Smith, Epp, Kasun and My Pillow

In addition to USEIP, Shawn Smith, Ashley Epp, and Holly Kasun were named in the complaint. According to the complaint, Smith was responsible for obtaining voter rolls that were used during door-to-door campaigns. Both Epp and Kasun are, according to the complaint, both members of USEIP.

The complaint also claims each defendant is employed by the CEO of “My Pillow” Mike Lindell, who is “a prominent proponent of false and disproven claims that there was massive election fraud in the 2020 presidential election.”

According to its website, USEIP was created in response “to the overwhelming evidence of election irregularities and in some cases outright election fraud in 2020.”

It is important to note extensive investigations have revealed no such election fraud.

Goal of the complaint

Based on evidence included in the complaint, plaintiffs have asked for some of the following:

Declare that Defendants’ door-to-door campaign of voter harassment and threats of carrying out such campaigns in the future constitute unlawful voter intimidationDeclare that Defendants’ door-to-door campaign of voter harassment and threats of carrying out such campaigns in the future constitute a conspiracy in violation of Section 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3), the Ku Klux Klan Act.Order Defendants to cease and desist going uninvited to voters’ homes in order to question voters or household members about mail-in ballots, alleged voter fraud, or to intimidate voters from voting (including by mail).Order Defendants to stop taking photographs and stop maintaining databases of voters, their residences, or their vehicles; to make no attempt to access or use their copies of existing photographs or databases of voters, their residences, or their vehicles; and to delete their copies of existing photographs or databasesOrder Defendants who speak with voters to: (i) clearly state the organization with whom they are affiliated; (ii) inform voters that they are not required to speak with Defendants; (iii) stop claiming that they affiliated with any government entity; (iv) not make any threat of consequences, reprisals, or criminal charges to voters; and (v) to otherwise not threaten or intimidate voters.(iii) stop claiming that they affiliated with any government entity; (iv) not make any threat of consequences, reprisals, or criminal charges to voters; and (v) to otherwise not threaten or intimidate voters.Award Plaintiffs compensatory damages. Award Plaintiffs reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs

You can view the full complaint below.

FOX21 has reached out to the voter organizations who filed the complaint as well as USEIP.