During the Cascade County election canvas meeting in November, the county’s new election administrator, Terry Thompson, provided a scathing criticism of local election deniers. Usually watching a vote canvas is like watching paint dry. So, when Terry Thompson said she wanted to take it as an opportunity to respond to accusations about her office, people paid attention. Thompson began her remarks:
“I’m going to make some public comments, because I never get to make public comments. I get to sit here and listen to the public accuse me and the election office of various things. I’ve been privy to an email that was sent out from the 5 for 5 group that tends to come in here and do public comments.”
Ever Hear Of 5 For 5?
If you’re not familiar with 5 For 5, you are not alone. An email sent out by the group says 5 for 5 is “Connecting the Citizens of Cascade County.” The email included a disclaimer, “5 for 5 does not endorse any candidate or guest speaker.” WTF 406 has not been able to find anyone locally who had ever heard of the group.
The Montana Secretary of State’s website listed a limited liability corporation in Kalispell called 5 For 5 Capitol. The United Church of Christ has a special offering program called 5 For 5. WTF406 contacted church officials who said they had no idea what this group is. WTF406 sent a message to the email address listed on their correspondence. No response.
Email From WTF406.com To 5 For 5
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Greetings,
We are in possession of your correspondence urging people to attend the 11-20 county commission meeting. Though the email said it was from 5 for 5, an organization we are not aware of, the entire email was written in first person. We are curious about both your organization 5 For 5 and who the writer is.
It’s ironic that you send an anonymous email while demanding integrity and making unsupported claims and innuendos about private individuals and public employees. Before publishing a piece on your activities we would like more information about the goals and leadership of your organization. Specifically:
What are the goals and objectives of 5 for 5?
Who are your leaders/officers?
Please respond by December 27th. Thank you.
WTF406blog.
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Just How Angry Was Terry Thompson? Pretty Angry
Below we provide selected quotes to give readers a feeling for Thompson’s anger and frustration dealing with this group. If nothing else it is entertaining. (WTF406.com cleaned up some of the errors from the county’s automatic transcript program)
“I’m not a politician, so I’m going to fight back when people talk about what I’m doing, the job I’m doing, the people that I hire, the people that I work with.”
“I did call Rena Moore. I am not a fool. I’m an intelligent woman with many leadership skills. And I am going to reach out to the people that did this job for 16 years. I did my job for 16 years at the Realtor Association, and I get contacted all the time.”
“But she (Rae Grulkowski) had to ask me the other day, why didn’t I call Sandra instead of Rina? Well, let me tell you, Sandra never ran a Presidential election first of all, so I don’t think she could give me very good advice.”
“There was a group of observers, supposedly observers, that went to the lines and were taking their poll watchers. They were supposed to be poll watchers, but they got themselves involved in obstructing our election. They went to the lines and started telling people, oh, just go to the precinct, and you can vote.Well. Can you imagine the mess that we’ve had?”
“Let’s talk about the staff. I inherited a staff that was hired by Sandra Merchant, and several of those people are their friends that hung out together at the Pachyderm [Club].”
“But here’s the problem.You see, because I was supposedly raised a girl, I could be puppeteered like Sandra was puppeteered. But it’s not happening with me. And so now the attacks are coming, because I’m not letting them infiltrate the election office. I am keeping it as nonpartisan as possible.”
“Was that a setup? I think maybe that it was a setup. Maybe I was being sabotaged by Sandra Merchant and Rae Grulkowski.”
“There’s a lot of of mudslinging going on about what I didn’t do and what I did do, and I’m here to say I’m sick and tired of being under the shadow of Sandra Merchant. I’m tired of this group coming in here and bashing you (county commissioners.”
“I get sick and tired of hearing that I should do things like Sandra. I get text messages. You should be working for Sandra. She should have her job back.”
“I’m not going to have this crap going on and being said about this office… They were calling judges when they were working in there [at the polling place], asking them what we’re doing. Those people would come and tell me, ‘Oh, Julie Bass called me. I don’t want her calling me.’ Stop taking her call. It would be pretty simple. People [were] giving me their communications, because they see that this is [a] personal attack.”
Here is the link to the video of the canvas meeting. Terry Thompson’s relevant comments begin at 1:49:00
Just More Of The Same Old Crap
WTF406.com has commented extensively on the process which was used in hiring Terry Thompson. Commissioner Rae Grulkowski clearly skewed the process to assure that Rina Moore would not be hired. Moore subsequently filed a political belief discrimination suit, and the county ended up paying her $52,500 to settle the complaint.
https://wtf406.com/2024/03/grulkowski-plays-dirty-did-we-really-expect-anything-else/
https://wtf406.com/2024/09/rea-grulkowski-you-cant-make-this-stuff-up/
Good For Terry Thompson
Thompson’s comments in this meeting are a rare example of a public employee defending themselves, their employees, and their supervisors against unwarranted attacks for doing their job in a conscientious manner. She has performed her duties in an objective and professional manner in very difficult circumstances. The sad truth is that election deniers are setting out to destroy free and fair elections in Montana. People like Terry Thompson, and Rina Moore before her, are all that stand between us and the chaos offered by the far right wing.
Below Is Copy of 5 For 5’s Email
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Subject: TODAY! ELECTION ACTION ! Tune in Speak up! @2pm
From: 5 for 5 <[email protected]>
Date IL/2O/2O24, 11.:L6 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients
Folks the “show” continues as our County Commissioners Jim Larson and Joe Briggs continue to create a story to explain away their incompetence of our elections once. Remember they stole your right to vote for EA and removed Merchant from her duly elected position.
Yesterday, EA Thompson (their hire) explained that the numbers in the election were off, and she opened (by herself) the sealed signature envelope boxes and found several ballots left in envelopes. Changing the election results.
I requested the BP34 forms on 11l9l24. They are used to reconcile all received absentee ballots.
She refused to print them and gave multiple excuses – I already knew we were off.
How? I have been working with the MT Data team which purchased voter roll history and information from the secretary of state office it is updated daily. We knew the election was off.
The primary was also off but became aware to late and then person loss interfered with timeline.
The EA’s numbers still are off the machine was NEVER correctly tested.
Election protocols were not followed. I was told Rina Moore (who just got a 52k pay out from the Briggs and Larson on the backs of the taxpayers) was the consultant on this election.
Was this a setup?
I believe it to be a CONTINUATION of a SHOW that the entitled commissioners have played at the EXPENSE of the taxpayers.
Briggs and Larson’s decision to create Resolution 23-62 has cost the taxpayers well over 150K ,
the annual salary of the position and their (Briggs and Larson) incompetence has burdened us electors
What can you do?
Demand this election is voided and redone. We are not the only county with problems
Hundreds of electors did not get to vote on 11l5. Terry Thompson said the error happened due to short staff. Staffing for an election is a requirement of the commissioners. I spoke to this weeks before the election in a commissioner meeting once again making me wonder is this just a setup. Maybe to bring back Rina Moore or her crony Lynn Deroche.
TODAY DURING PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE COUNTY WORK SESSION DEMAND RESOLUTION 23-62 be RESCINDED. BRIGGS AND LARSON to RESIGN
(WTF 406 has deleted the final few sentences of the email to conserve space)
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