Joe Oltmann | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Business owner Podcaster |
| Known for | Conservative political activism Conspiracy theories |
| Notable work | The Conservative Daily podcast |
Joe Oltmann is an American podcaster and political activist. Oltmann is the founder of several businesses in the Colorado area, including a firearms retailer, an automotic repair company, and a data firm. He is also the founder of FEC United, a conservative political organization. Oltmann hosts the podcast Conservative Daily, where he shares his views on social issues that some have described as discriminatory.
Business career
Oltmann began his business career in the mid-2000s, when he was a co-founder of the auto repair and sales business Millennium Autosport in Colorado. [1] Around this time he also helped the local police in disrupting an automobile theft ring that had stolen a vehicle from one of his clients. [2] He is also co-owner of DCF Guns, a firearms retailer. [3] Oltmann's public political activism began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he served as the CEO of PIN Business Network, a data management company. During this time he began to fund protests of the State of Colorado's early stay-at-home orders. [4]
Conservative activism
Oltmann's activism next included questioning the Black Lives Matter movement, including issuing false claims that Antifa was responsible for arsons in his home state. [5] He also became the host of the podcast Conservative Daily, where he shares far-right theories and opinions, such as his support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [6] Some of his comments have led to defamation suits, such as his claim that an LGBTQ magazine journalist was an accessory to the murder of a woman who later proved to still be alive. [7] Media Matters has reported that Oltmann's podcast has collaborated in advancing QAnon claims and conspiracy theories. [8] He has also issued racist attacks against the philosophy of critical race theory [9] and pushed conspiracy theories steeped in antisemitism. [5]
In 2022 his podcast was featured in television news due to his advocacy of executing political foes by hanging, after a Republican state lawmaker nominated Oltmann for governor. [10] He has also called for the execution of the US President. [11]
Election denial
Oltmann is the founder of FEC United, a political organization that advocates for candidates for public office in the State of Colorado and has been involved in the Stop the Steal campaign in its efforts to spread disinformation about the 2020 US presidential election results. [6] This included actions immediately after Donald Trump's election loss, when he met with members of Trump's staff in conversations arranged by Trump lawyer John Eastman. [12] He has also been accused of defamation in a lawsuit filed against him and other defendants by a former executive of Dominion Voting Systems. [13]
Oltmann has continued to participate in events that spread disinformation about the 2020 election, including an event in Colorado where he falsely claimed that he and his compatriots suffered an anthrax attack, instead of falling ill due to COVID-19. [14] His company, PIN, has been involved in spreading misinformation online via paid email circulations. [15] His election denialism also extended beyond the 2020 election, when in 2022 he hosted a rally to protest the results of the US midterm Congressional election, claiming they had been skewed by fraudulent activity. [16]
Personal life
Joe Oltmann lives on an estate in the community of Castle Rock, Colorado. [17]
References
- ^ NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE (July 29, 2022). "How Joe Oltmann, who claims the U.S. election was rigged and 'traitors' should be executed, became a rising political force - The failed car salesman's violent rhetoric has even former allies calling his views 'ominous'".
- ^ "Millennium Autosport". Airport Journals. September 1, 2005.
- ^ Kyle Clark (December 26, 2023). "GOP congressional candidate calls for arrest, treason trial of Colorado judges". NBC Colorado.
- ^ Casey Van Divier (December 21, 2020). "Why Joe Oltmann Didn't Testify Before Legislative Audit Committee". Westword.
- ^ a b Heidi Beedle (April 11, 2022). "Joe Oltmann's Rise to Power in Colorado". Colorado Times Recorder.
- ^ a b Rosalind S. Helderman (June 27, 2022). "With violent rhetoric and election denial, podcaster becomes GOP force". Washington Post.
- ^ Shelley Bradbury (November 29, 2022). "Woman sues Colorado podcaster Joe Oltmann for defamation over false murder claim". Denver Post.
- ^ ALEX KAPLAN (June 29, 2023). "Election denier Joe Oltmann is collaborating with figures from a QAnon Rumble channel". Media Matters.
- ^ Nick Puckett (February 16, 2022). "After He Suggested Hanging Polis, CO Election Conspiracist Says He 'Never Called for the Death of Anyone'". Colorado Times Recorder.
- ^ "Joe Oltmann 'joking' about hanging political opponents, says CO lawmaker who nominated him for governor". NBC News. May 16, 2022.
- ^ Clark, Kyle (13 March 2024). "DCF Guns owner calls for the killing of President Biden". KUSA.com. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ Erik Maulbetsch (February 16, 2023). "Eastman Involved in Setting up Oltmann's Meetings With Trump Officials, Says Oltmann". Colorado Times Recorder.
- ^ Justin Baragona (September 5, 2023). "OAN and Chanel Rion Settle Lawsuit Over Their Bonkers Claims About a Dominion Exec". Daily Beast.
- ^ David Gilbert (December 22, 2021). "They're Sure It's Anthrax. The fact that the conference was likely a COVID outbreak and superspreader event has been almost entirely ignored". Vice.
- ^ David Gilbert (April 22, 2022). "QAnon Candidate Ron Watkins' Biggest Campaign Donor Is Himself". Vice.
- ^ "People gather at the Arizona Capitol to protest the results of the midterm elections". Arizona Republic. November 26, 2022.
- ^ Heidi Beedle (May 2, 2022). "Oltmann Named in New Defamation Lawsuit, Legal History and Finances Questioned". Colorado Times Recorder.