The chairman of Colorado’s independent congressional redistricting commission said he does not intend to step down from his leadership position on the commission and has taken to social media calling on friends to voice their opposition to an effort to have him removed from his chairmanship.

Danny Moore, who was elected by 8 of the 12 commissioners to the chairman position in mid-March, has been criticized for social media posts that questioned the 2020 election outcome and called the 2020 election “The Democrat steal,” as well as posts defending using “The Chinese virus” to describe COVID-19 as not racist, posts accusing media of lying about the coronavirus pandemic and posts accusing a local TV station of staging a confrontation that led to a security contractor hired by the station shooting and killing a man at a protest in the summer of 2020.

Moore has said he’s not a conspiracy theorist, and said he didn’t know whether the things he posted on social media were true or false, but that he wanted to provoke conversation with his friends. 

At the next hearing of the commission today, Moore said he will address his social media posts and the media coverage of them head-on, and the topic has been added to the commission’s agenda.

“I certainly have no intentions of resigning from my post,” he said of the commission’s meeting today. “This is a smear attempt on me.” 

Moore said that his fate on the commission ultimately will be up to the other commissioners, and he said he’s not sure what will unfold.

Two redistricting advocacy groups, both aligned with the Democratic Party, have called for Moore to resign his chairmanship over the posts, and they’ve asked the public to petition for his resignation.

Moore posted Monday morning to his Facebook page asking his friends to leave public comments in support of his chairmanship.

“Friends and fellow warriors. The left is trying to get me removed as Chair from the Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission. I need your support. Please go to the website today and leave your message of support. I am addressing the Commission today at 2 pm. Your support could help me keep my position on the Commission. Thank you in advance.” 

Public comments on the redistricting commission’s website have mounted quickly, many asking for his resignation, and, since Moore’s call for action, many espousing support for him.

Jessika Shipley, the lead staff member for the commission, said she believes that because the commission is so early in its process they haven’t yet adopted permanent bylaws, so the group would likely not be in a position to vote for removal yet.

“I don’t think they could do it right now, because they are using temporary rules and don’t have any bylaws set up yet,” Shipley said. “They’re kind of still in a gray area.”

If removal were the desire of the commission, she said, rules allowing it would need to be adopted.