THORNTON, Colo. (KDVR) — Thornton Mayor Jan Kulmann is seeking a permanent protective order against a man he says is one of his biggest supporters.
“Until Jan Kulmann is re-elected mayor, until we make Thornton the most MAGIC city in Colorado, I will not stop supporting him,” Danny Kulmann said in an interview with Problem Solvers outside the County Justice Center of Adams. .
No punishment for detective after teenage son uses service weapon to shoot up houses
“Danny Kulmann” is a Make American Great Again character created by Thornton resident Dariush Namazi.
Thornton’s satirist wears the MAGA cap in character
Since June 3, Namazi has been attending Thornton city events wearing a red T-shirt that says “#JANK” while donning a red MAGA baseball cap while taking selfies of himself trying to talk to the mayor and others city officials.
At a June 9 Pride event in Thornton, Namazi was recorded as “Danny Kullman” asking the mayor, “How are we making Thornton great today? Jan, how do you feel about all these trans people in the around children?”
At another city event at a park in Thornton, Namazi went up to the mayor’s tent and recorded himself as “Danny Kulmann,” where he brought up transgender people again. He asked the mayor: “How do you feel about trans children? Do you think we are doing enough to stop the trans community?”
Dariush Namazi as ‘Danny Kulmann’ (left) and Thornton Mayor Jan Kulmann, right, leave the Adams County Courthouse on July 5, 2023 (KDVR)
Mayor Kulmann’s response
Kulmann did not directly respond to Namazi’s questions, but he did address his behavior at the end of the public comment section of a June 13 city council meeting, where he was recorded saying the following:
“I have to warn everyone about a community member with a fake online profile. This person is using my last name to post hateful information online. He has harassed me at several events around town posting this hate openly on the my page and sending me private messages.
I want to be very clear: what this man is saying is wrong. He is intentionally making statements that harm people based on their beliefs and claims that they are mine. Are not.
He doesn’t speak for me. He harassed Thorntonfest members, he harassed me in the Ward 1 ice cream social. He harassed me as I was leaving our Pride festival. He impersonated a hate-filled protest at another county event, and in fact his behavior and theatrics continue to become aggressive to the point where I don’t feel comfortable taking my daughter to city events.
And if you know him, I ask for your help. I’m asking for your help to get it to stop, and to my elected colleagues, I’m asking you too. This is something none of us should have to put up with and we should support each other when it comes to feeling safe in public.”
Thornton Major Jan Kulmann
Mayor Kulmann was likely referring to Ward 2 candidate Roberta Ayala. Namazi’s wife is an Ayala campaign volunteer, and Namazi himself once delivered his campaign fliers door-to-door. But he has since stopped volunteering for Ayala after taking on the role of Danny Kulmann.
When the troubleshooters asked Ayala if she thought Namazi was harassing or stalking the mayor, she replied, “I haven’t seen any evidence.”
When asked if he thought Namazi should stop playing Danny Kulmann, he replied:
“It’s not something I would do personally for activism. It’s your choice. At this point, it is free speech protected by the First Amendment.
Counsel argues that the protective order would violate 1A
On June 22, Mayor Kulmann filed for a temporary protective order requiring Dariush Namazi/Danny Kulmann to stay at least 15 feet away from her, writing, “She has asked him to stay away from “her, to stop contacting her and to stop filming her. but she refuses to. When she asks him to step back, he comes over. His behavior has been escalating over the last two weeks and at an event, he bumped into me.”
Does your landlord have to provide air conditioning in Colorado?
On July 5, an Adams County judge granted the mayor a continuance of the protective order until July 18 so that Kulmann could obtain police body camera video, which his attorney said will show that you are a victim of bullying and harassment.
Namazi’s attorney is Steven Zansberg, who is known for representing FOX31 and other media outlets in cases involving the First Amendment, open meeting laws and transparency issues with law enforcement and government agencies.
Zansberg has filed a motion to immediately dismiss the protective order, saying it is an illegal act of prior restraint intended to hide the words of a political activist.
Satirical Character: “I would never bully or stalk anyone”
Namazi agreed to speak with FOX31 after the July 5 court hearing, but only after changing into his character Danny Kulmann.
He told the Troubleshooters: “Jan Kullman, she has the right not to listen to constituents she doesn’t want to hear from. If she wants to listen to the people who support her, great. If she wants to not listen to someone who says it’s a problem, then that person’s voice should be silenced.”
When asked if he has harassed or stalked the mayor, Namazi responded like Danny Kulmann: “I would never stalk or stalk anyone. I’m a big supporter of Jan Kulmann, and that would be off base to say that.”
Cost of living, housing remain top concerns for Coloradans
Namazi has created a Facebook page as Danny Kulmann. His posts satirically suggest he agrees with the mayor’s past decisions to support fracking near Thornton schools, or his successful effort to unseat a Democratic councilwoman accused of living outside the district and help replace her with a Republican adviser.
When Kulmanm went to court on July 5, he had a police escort. She declined to speak to FOX31 after the hearing on the advice of her attorney, who asked her to wait until a judge decides on July 18 whether to make the protective order permanent.
Close Modal
Suggest a correction
Suggest a correction
Source link
