Colorado Politics reporter Marianne Goodland details a stack of ethics complaints filed by Colorado Common Cause against 12 Democratic lawmakers tied to a three-day retreat at the Sonnenalp in Vail last October. The allegation is simple. One Main Street Colorado, labeled a dark money group in the complaint, picked up the tab for rooms and more. That would run smack into Amendment 41’s gift cap if true.
According to the article, the rooms alone totaled about $25,000 for lawmakers, with listed rates between $316 and $500 per night. Food, drink, and travel were allegedly covered too. Two lawmakers did not use the rooms. The rest of the caucus allegedly did. Names, dates, dollar signs, and a looming commission meeting are all on the record.
The Bullet Point Brief
• The complaint says One Main Street paid for hotel rooms and more for a Vail “Summit.” That triggers Amendment 41 questions.
• Gift cap is $75 per person per year. A $25,000 block of rooms is not a coffee and a muffin.
• Two exceptions noted. Rep. Shannon Bird did not attend. Sen. Dylan Roberts attended but did not need a room.
• Funding trail in the complaint ties One Main Street to corporate groups whose lobbyists were at the retreat. That is a bad visual.
• The Ethics Commission can fine twice the amount. It meets Nov. 18. That is soon, and unprecedented in volume.
My Bottom Line
I am not popping popcorn here. I am disappointed. I know some of these names and respect them. So I am going to hold the snark, let the process run, and see what the commission does on November 18. Integrity has to matter more than team colors.
If the facts bear out that rooms, food, and travel were comped by an outside group while policy was in play, that is not blurry. That is a line crossed. If the facts do not bear out, clear the air fast and publicly. Either way, sunlight beats spin. The public is not allergic to nuance, but it is allergic to hypocrisy. The standard we set now is the standard our kids will inherit. Integrity matters. Now, more than ever.
Source: Colorado Politics
