Letter to the Editor: Accountability Is Not Optional

To the Editor,

Hartman is under siege—not just by individuals violating the law, but by institutions refusing to enforce it.

At the start of the year, I personally contacted the Sheriff’s Department to report suspected COVID-related embezzlement, grant misappropriation, and overall government corruption.  Despite supplying documentation and requesting an investigation, there was no response. “No” follow up, “No” pursuit of justice.

Since then, two separate incidents of check fraud on our municipal account were reported.  These aren’t just accounting errors or misunderstandings; they’re potential felonies under Colorado law. And the Sheriff’s Department declined to take even a basic incident report. That creates liability for everyone downstream: from enforcement to grant agencies, auditors, and the town itself.

Since the recall – and efforts to dismantle the uncertified Hartman board of trustees – the misconduct has continued to escalate:

• Surveillance equipment stolen from public property
• Government records breached, torn up, and some potentially altered
• Trespass into multiple municipal buildings
• Destruction of infrastructure and archives critical to lawful recovery

These acts are serious. They threaten grant compliance, operational continuity, and the safety of municipal staff. And yet, the Sheriff’s Department has refused to intervene—despite repeated notifications and evidence. Their silence is not passive. It is protective of those who sabotage Hartman’s recovery and erase accountability from within.

This is not just about broken trust. It is about broken law—and a refusal by enforcement agencies to uphold it.

We, as residents and public servants, have followed every statute. We have documented every breach. We have issued public alerts, formal memos, and agency filings. What we have not received is enforcement.  What they are broadcasting is that sabotage carries no consequence, that public dollars are expendable, and that residents can be silenced.

The Sheriff’s Department has now refused to act on COVID embezzlement charges, grant misappropriation, and two verified incidents of check fraud against Hartman’s municipal account—despite clear statutory violations under Colorado law. Their failure to take reports, initiate an investigation, or protect public funds constitutes a dereliction of duty. This is not a procedural oversight; it is institutional neglect. Hartman’s lawful recovery is being sabotaged not only by internal obstruction, but by external indifference from the very agencies tasked with enforcing accountability. Residents deserve enforcement—not excuses. We will document every refusal and demand formal action until the law is upheld.

—Shawna Casey, disheartened in Hartman, Colorado