(Colorado Newsline) A Colorado judge wants the lawsuit over control of the state Republican Party to wrap up before the 2024 election.

A trial in the case between Eli Bremer and Dave Williams, who both claim to be head of the state party, will start October 14, the same week voters should get their ballots in the mail and three weeks before Election Day itself.

“It is evident to the court that the issues before it need an expedited resolution,” Judge Eric Bentley of the 4th Judicial District said in court on Tuesday morning. “Two separate individuals and leadership teams claim to lead the Colorado Republican Committee. They represent separate factions of the party. They point the party in very different directions and have different sets of supporters.”

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“As everyone knows, an important national election is pending inside two months from now, and based on the limited information to the court at this time, it appears self-evident that the Republican State Committee cannot function as intended without its leadership issue resolved,” he said.

Bremer sued Williams and his party leadership team late last month, asking the court to declare actions at an August 24 meeting valid. At that meeting, members of the state GOP central committee voted to remove Williams, vice chair Hope Scheppelman and secretary Anna Ferguson from leadership, and then installed Bremer as chair and named a new vice chair and secretary.

Williams and his supporters, however, claim that the meeting was invalid and held a separate meeting a week later, where his position as chair was affirmed by the party members who attended.

The result is that there are two leadership teams claiming responsibility for the state Republican Party, including fundraising and candidate support, two months before an election with a pair of competitive congressional campaigns in the state.

Williams and his camp still control the party’s offices, bank account, website and social media accounts.

Michael Melito, one of two lawyers for Williams, said on Monday that there is no need for the trial to happen before Election Day, calling the rush a “false red flag” because the “heavy lifting” when it comes to candidate support has already occurred.

Christopher Murray, representing Bremer, said that a delay would only benefit the defendants who are refusing to hand over access to the party’s assets.

“This is a big period for fundraising,” Murray said. “Republicans in the state have to know who it is they are giving the funds to and who will have control over them.”

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