Published July 13, 2026 · Updated with each build
Red Box Watch

A public ledger of red‑boxing — campaign‑site signals to super PACs

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Finding House · Colorado Democrat

Kiros, Melat FINDING

Seat
H-CO-01
Party
DEM
Universe reason
contested_primary
FEC receipts
$660,193 FEC
Campaign site
https://kirosforco.com (unverified)
Pages scanned
35 · last 2026-07-09

Posted public messaging guidance consistent with red-boxing

Detected on https://kirosforco.com/media  · classifier confidence 0.98 · model fireworks/deepseek-v4-flash

The page contains detailed media-buy instructions including channel ('on the go', broadcast, cable), timing (weeks relative to ballot drop), and prescribed messaging for both positive and negative ads. The language is directive and addressed to an outside spender (references to super PACs and resource allocation). This is not a press kit or voter-facing persuasion page; it is guidance for independent expenditure groups.

Quoted evidence — verbatim spans from the page

  • Voters need to see on the go and read that Melat Kiros is endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders
    Directive language specifying channel ('on the go') and message for voters, typical of media-buy instructions.
  • Need to see on the go both positive messages about Melat and negative messages about Degette, not contrast.
    Prescribes specific ad content and format ('not contrast') for a paid media channel.
  • All communications should peak in weeks 3-2 to align with universal VBM ballots dropping on June 8th.
    Timing and media-buy scheduling tied to election calendar, indicating guidance for ad flighting.
  • In weeks 2 - end likely voters searching for Diana Degette should know super PACs have dropped over a million dollars into this race to protect her.
    Targeted search-based messaging instruction, referencing super PACs, implying outside-group coordination.
  • If resources become available (without taking away from seeing on the go), voters should also see our message on 1) KUSA NBC and 2) KMGH ABC.
    Specific broadcast station recommendations with resource allocation caveat, classic red-boxing signal.
Archived screenshot of https://kirosforco.com/media
Archived at detectionFull-page screenshot of https://kirosforco.com/media · Raw HTML preserved

Independent-expenditure corroboration

FEC Schedule E · 18 filings

Sequence. Messaging guidance was present on the candidate's site when detected (by us) on 2026-07-09; $627,215 in supporting independent expenditures is on file for this candidate, and $675,000 opposing.

Committee AmountFilingsDate range
O PROJECT 218 $400,000 3 2026-06-17 – 2026-06-17
S JUSTICE DEMOCRATS PAC $306,460 7 2026-06-01 – 2026-06-22
S AMERICAN PRIORITIES (AP) $290,000 2 2026-06-22 – 2026-06-22
O PRO-CHOICE MAJORITY ACTION $275,000 2 2026-06-24 – 2026-06-25
S SF SOLIDARITY PAC $26,640 2 2026-06-27 – 2026-06-27
S WORKING FAMILIES PARTY PAC $4,115 2 2026-06-19 – 2026-06-20

S Supporting O Opposing

Schedule E is corroboration, not the trigger — a filed expenditure is late evidence, and our detection timestamp reflects when we crawled, which can lag the actual posting. Supporting IE dated on or after our detection day: $0. Dates are FEC expenditure dates.