Crime victims in Larimer County want to recall District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin - Reporter-Herald
Thomas Clayton
The mother of a son killed in a bus crash in Fort Collins, the daughter of a mother killed in her own home and a victim of domestic violence forced to continually face her abuser. All of these people have come together with one goal in mind: recall 8th Judicial District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin.
“He has no interest in justice and no interest in families who have been on the receiving end of all this injustice,” said Patricia Telleen, a member of the effort.
McLaughlin, who serves as the elected DA for Larimer and Jackson counties, said in a brief written statement that he remains focused on providing justice to the people in his district.
“I’m thankful for all the community support and the recognition that my office has consistently used its resources to improve the lives — and ensure the safety — of our community in a fair and just manner,” he wrote.
The Recall Gordon effort is made up of around 40 victims and a dozen volunteers with the intent to get the second-term DA removed from his position for what they see as a failing in the justice department. The effort began to come together late last year when Tracey Taylor, another member of the movement, connected with others who were frustrated with how their cases were handled.
While many have remained anonymous throughout the process, several have openly shared their stories as to why they want McLaughlin out, speaking out in videos posted to the effort’s website as well as speaking with the Reporter-Herald.
Taylor became frustrated with McLaughlin and his office after her former partner was given what she felt was a lenient sentence for what she described as abuse and stalking over many years. Despite what she described as ample evidence of what he had done to her, her abuser was given a three-year probationary sentence for a plea to attempted stalking, which she said allowed him to continue contacting her and her family and harassing them.
“All day, every day, for three and a half years,” she said. “Because they refuse to put this man in prison.”
Telleen’s son, Jason, was killed when he was run over at the Transfort facility in Fort Collins in early 2023. She said that, despite evidence that the driver should not have been driving the bus at night due to his eyesight at night, the DA’s office never charged him with anything.
She was shocked when she learned the driver would not face punishment.
“A life was lost and no one, absolutely no one, was held accountable,” she said. “It’s wrong on the highest level. It was my child who lost his life and no one was held accountable.”
The movement has also received support and assistance from Jennifer King, the daughter of Toni Fuller who, late last year, was killed in her Loveland home. Her son, Michael Fuller, has been accused of murdering her.
Though King lives in New Jersey, she has supported the movement from afar. She said she is behind what the group is doing because of her belief that McLaughlin and the DA’s office poorly handled bond setting for her half brother in a different case, which allowed him to be out of jail leading to the murder he has been charged with.
“I want to know what is going on because I have done some research and I have been speaking with the other victims and there are just so many … (suspects) he chooses not to prosecute or let out on super, super low bonds,” she said.
The group is working to spread the word about their movement and gain pledges from residents who would be interested in signing a recall petition.
Elected officials must be in office for six months before a recall can be attempted, according to the Colorado Secretary of State website; to then get a recall question on the ballot, signatures from 25% of the total votes cast at the last preceding general election are required.
This means the group cannot file any official recall petition until the summer, as McLaughlin was sworn into office earlier this year after defeating opponent Dawn Downs in the 2024 general election with 50.65% of the vote.
Taylor said they currently have 261 pledges from those willing to sign a petition once it has been filed. The movement has also brought on Chris Morrissey — who has worked on other recall efforts across the state — to help in the process.
Several members of the movement appeared before Loveland City Council on Tuesday night, pleading with the community to sign the pledge and questioning any of the council that continues to support McLaughlin. Those gathered wore blue shirts with the recall effort website and the words “Because victims matter, our safety matters!”
After Taylor finished speaking at the meeting, a crowd gathered in the council chambers broke into applause.
Taylor said she feels McLaughlin and his office treat victims like they are the problem for wanting people held accountable when he should be fighting for victims like her. She said getting rid of him would instill justice for the residents of Larimer and Jackson counties.
“The justice system is failing everyone. It’s business owners, it’s people down the street, it’s our children,” she said. “With no consequences for actions, people flock here to commit crimes, people are brazen.”
Telleen used one word in what she thought his removal would mean: justice.
“(Justice for) all these victims who were slapped in the face and told they did not matter and their loss did not matter,” Telleen said. “These people deserve justice for the loss and the harm done to their loved ones. It’s all about justice and doing the right thing. Gordon does not do the right thing.”
While McLaughlin did not directly address this specific recall movement in his statement to the Reporter-Herald, he spoke positively about his time as DA and what the office has done.
He wrote that he was proud to be sworn in for his final term to the office earlier this year and won’t “relitigate settled elections.”
“My office is moving forward with serving our community,” he wrote.
McLaughlin added that his office remains “dedicated to advancing public safety through a wide range of initiatives.” This includes, he said, the office’s third annual Crime Victims Rights Week ceremony, held last week where “families impacted by homicide shared powerful testimonies about the success of the Larimer County criminal justice system and we honored our local victim advocates.”
 | Tom Clayton Communication and Media Specialist, Public Affairs |
| Commissioners' Office 200 W Oak St, Fort Collins, 80522 | 2nd Floor W: (970) 498-7005 tcla...@larimer.org | www.larimer.org |