A judge this week granted Thornton’s mayor, Jan Kulmann, a permanent civil protection order against a 29-year-old man she accuses of harassing her at city events over the last six weeks.
The order against Dariush Namazi, who satirically calls himself “Danny Kulmann” and ironically claims to be the mayor’s political ally, requires him to stay at least 15 feet away from Kulmann.
It was issued on Tuesday by Adams County Magistrate Michael Garlan and follows up on a temporary protection order that was issued against Namazi on June 22.
“The first time I saw Mr. Namazi was on June 3 during Thorntonfest,” Kulmann told The Denver Post. “He started with an intentionally misleading online persona shortly after that. He’s been coming to city events, including our concerts and movies, since then.”
Kulmann, who unsuccessfully ran as a Republican hopeful in the 8th Congressional District race last year, said Namazi has “blocked her exits” and “got so close he would physically bump me.”
“The scary part is that I don’t truly know his intentions,” the mayor said. “I don’t know him but his recorded harassing and intimidating actions make me fear for my safety. He clearly doesn’t speak for me and doesn’t know me but his antics not only make me fearful but also those around me.”
Namazi, who has lived in Thornton for the better part of a decade, denies having ever touched Kulmann or having blocked her path.
“No bumps ever occurred,” he said. “I’ve never touched her — incidentally, accidentally or on purpose.”
Namazi admits he can be annoying but said nothing he did with regard to Kulmann ever crossed the line into harassment or stalking. He set his sights on Kulmann because he feels she’s a MAGA Republican — short for Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan — who won’t admit to being one.
Kulmann, he said, supports fracking in the city, doesn’t stand up for gay rights and backs Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who Namazi claims is not friendly to the LGBTQ community.
“We have a MAGA conservative mayor in the city and that mayor is lying about her positions,” Namazi said.
He also objects to Kulmann, who is running for reelection as Thornton’s mayor this November, being one of five votes to remove Ward I Councilwoman Jacque Phillips from her seat in early 2022 after the council majority determined she did not meet the city’s residency requirement.
Namazi said he simply wants Kulmann to answer questions about her political positions but that she refuses to respond. In 2018, Kulmann was sued by two anti-fracking activists for blocking them from commenting on her official Facebook page when she was mayor pro-tem of Thornton. She agreed to unblock them as part of a legal agreement worked out in the case.
Namazi’s attorney, Steve Zansberg, said the magistrate judge found Kulmann’s testimony “credible” that his client’s close proximity to her “caused her mental anguish.”
“However, the court struck from the permanent restraining order the blatantly unconstitutional prior restraint provision of the (temporary protective order) that had subjected Mr. Namazi to arrest and incarceration for exercising only pure speech…,” he said.
But Kulmann said the case is not about free speech — it’s about safety.
“This isn’t about what he’s said,” she said. “This is about being harassed, having my personal space violated and not feeling safe at community events.”
Namazi said he will comply with the protective order, which allows him to continue communicating to Kulmann — albeit from a distance. Zansberg said his client is still allowed to attend city council meetings, where he has addressed the council while embodying his satirical persona.
“I will still be at events — I will still be Danny Kulmann,” Namazi said. “I guess I’ll just have to talk louder and be more obnoxious.”
