AG: Evidence of voter intimidation

Colorado’s attorney general sent a cease-and-desist order to the owner of a mobile home park who threatened to double the rent on tenants if Joe Biden wins the presidential race.

An initial investigation by Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office uncovered evidence of voter intimidation by Bernie Pagel, who owns Pagel’s Trailer Park in Fort Morgan. First Assistant Attorney General Rob Shapiro sent Pagel the order on Oct. 23.

Pagel’s threat to tenants, the order states, “constitutes unlawful voter intimidation in its coercion of Mobile Home Park homeowners/tenants or their immediate family members to vote a certain way by indicating economic consequences based on the outcome of an election.

“In particular, the (threat) attempts to induce homeowners/ tenants to vote against a particular candidate by stating a significant increase in rent prices if one candidate wins the presidential election.”

Pagel wrote to tenants, in a letter dated Oct. 19, “Please understand IF Joe Biden is elected as our next President, everything you do and have to pay for will change completely.”

“Everything will be increased.

Like paying ALOT more in taxes, utilities, gasoline, new permits, fees and regulations … everything! This also means YOUR RENT will be increased to cover these expenses. Most likely, rent would DOUBLE in price!”

Pagel’s letter also stated that if President Donald Trump is reelected, rent in the mobile home park would be frozen for at least two years.

The letter continued, “Voting is your choice and we are not telling you how to vote. WE are just informing our tenants what WE will do according to the election results. If Trump wins, we all win. If Biden wins, we all lose.”

The cease-and-desist order does not come with any penalty for Pagel. It simply informs him that the attorney general believes he violated the law, and that continued violations could result in criminal enforcement or a civil lawsuit.