In Colorado, where rugged individualism once defined the American West, a cabal of radical Leftist activists has weaponized government power to crush choice in higher education. Traditional universities, dominated by liberal ideologies like DEI and CRT, are failing our youth—pushing indoctrination over practical skills. Yet when innovative career colleges stepped in to offer affordable, job-focused alternatives, the state’s Attorney General’s office, aided by national progressives, launched a relentless assault. This isn’t about protecting students; it’s about preserving a monopoly for leftist academia.
At the heart of this crusade was Olivia “Libby” DeBlasio Webster, a revolving-door activist who turned the AG’s office into her personal bludgeon against the Centers for Excellence in Higher Education (CEHE). By 2012, she ramped up attacks on CEHE’s CollegeAmerica, billing records reveal she devoted over 7,200 hours—peaking at 95% of her time in 2017—and $721,971 in taxpayer funds to litigate them into oblivion.
DeBlasio’s obsession wasn’t isolated. After bankrupting CEHE in 2021, she cashed in on her government experience, jumping to the leftist group Student Defense—funded by dark-money giants like the National Education Association ($150,000 in 2019) and Arnold Ventures ($7.7 million over five years). There, she continued suing over Kaplan Career Institute loans and praising Biden’s forgiveness of billions from Corinthian Colleges. She even targeted online education innovations post-COVID, decrying “profiteers” who dared prioritize customer needs over ideological conformity.
Remarkably, DeBlasio revolved back to the AG’s office in 2024, securing a 32% pay bump to $142 per hour, to appeal the state’s trial loss against the already-shuttered CEHE. She billed another $61,226 attacking a defunct entity, proving the goal was intimidation, not justice. Now, she’s exited again, likely to another activist perch, promoting leftist education policy online.
To nationalize this local vendetta, the AG enlisted Rohit Chopra, then-CFPB director and Elizabeth Warren acolyte. Paid $75,000 as an “expert” witness despite lacking higher ed credentials (he holds an MBA, not a law degree), Chopra brought national spotlight and resources. His presence wasn’t about expertise—it was political theater. Chopra, mentored by fellow anti-career college warrior Richard Cordray, had already shuttered giants like ITT and Corinthian through CFPB lawsuits in 2014-2015. One ITT CEO called him an “economic terrorist” for manipulating facts.
Chopra’s career exemplifies progressive overreach: from CFPB ombudsman exposing $1 trillion in student debt (blaming lenders, not government subsidies) to FTC commissioner dissenting against “insufficient” fines on Big Tech. As CFPB head under Biden, he fined Wells Fargo $3.7 billion, Bank of America $250 million, and others, often for practices unrelated to consumer harm. His “regulation through enforcement” philosophy—shared with Cordray—weaponized agencies against free markets, reducing choices for borrowers and students alike.
This Colorado saga exposes a broader leftist strategy: dark-money groups, billionaire funders, and government insiders colluding to eliminate competition for ideologically biased universities. Career colleges like CEHE offered escape: flexible, career-oriented paths without the wokeness. But by bankrupting them, activists like DeBlasio and Chopra safeguard their influence pipeline.
AG offices should prioritize real crimes over ideological vendettas. Colorado’s students deserve freedom, not a leftist monopoly.