Ethics Watch Actions - Other Legal Actions

Independent Ethics Commission blocks Turkey trip

ltoro — Fri, 2 Jul 2010 12:33:36 -0400

Today, the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission issued an advisory opinion that state employees may not accept travel expenses for a cultural exchange trip to Turkey from a nonprofit that receives more than 5% of its funds from for-profit sources. In 2009, Ethics Watch won a legal challenge to an opinion that permitted legislators to accept travel expenses for a similar trip.

Ethics Watch’s 2010 Ethics and Transparency Legislation Review

ltoro — Wed, 9 Jun 2010 11:45:57 -0400

In a first-of-its-kind review of legislature votes on ethical issues, Ethics Watch today released Ethics & Transparency: 2010 Legislation in Review, revealing how the Colorado legislature stands on issues critical to a more ethical, transparent and accountable state government.

Golden Parachutes, Maximum Bonuses: Pinnacol audit shows need for reform

ltoro — Tue, 8 Jun 2010 08:50:42 -0400

Yesterday, the State Auditor released a performance audit of Pinnacol Assurance, the state-chartered workers' compensation insurance authority. Among other things, the audit revealed that the Pinnacol Board approved golden parachutes for senior management in the event the state legislature changed Pinnacol's legal status and that the board routinely approved "maximum level bonuses" for top employees. Together with revelations that the Pinnacol board was treated to expensive gifts that would be illegal if accepted by a legislator or state employee, the audit shows the need to reform the ethics rules that apply to Pinnacol's board.

Time to Toughen Ethics Rules for the Pinnacol Board

ltoro — Thu, 27 May 2010 17:31:19 -0400

KMGH-TV's recent expose of a lavish Pebble Beach golf trip taken by three members of the board that oversees Pinnacol Assurance, the state workers' compensation insurance fund earned bipartisan outrage. The likelihood that Pinnacol itself paid for the trip - which can't be confirmed because Pinnacol filed suit in Denver District Court to block an Open Records Act request from KMGH - raises questions about Colorado's ethics laws.

Ethics Watch Applauds Passage of Campaign Disclosure Bills

ltoro — Wed, 12 May 2010 11:02:03 -0400

Yesterday the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 10-1370 and Senate Bill 10-203, both of which increase voter awareness of who is spending money to influence elections. Ethics Watch calls on Governor Ritter to sign both of these bills into law.

Ethics Watch Responds To Introduction Of Post-Citizens United Bill

ltoro — Mon, 3 May 2010 11:29:02 -0400

Ethics Watch calls on the General Assembly to act swiftly on Senate Bill 10-203, the bill introduced by Senator Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora) and Representatives Paul Weissman (D-Louisville) and Karen Middleton (D-Aurora) to patch holes left in Colorado campaign finance law by the United States Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC.

Ethics Watch Comments On Proposed Ballot Initiative Disclosure Bill

ltoro — Tue, 6 Apr 2010 14:35:39 -0400

Today, Ethics Watch Director Luis Toro submitted comments to the House State and Veterans Affairs Committee on House Bill 10-1370, which would strengthen disclosure requirements regarding ballot initiative campaigns.

IEC's Second Hearing Shows Reform Still Needed

ltoro — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:28:15 -0500

Yesterday, the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission (IEC) unanimously found no violation of Colorado ethics laws by the manager of the Boxelder Stormwater Authority in Larimer County, who was alleged to have misused his former position as a Larimer County employee to become the sole candidate for the Authority's manager position. While the procedures were an improvement over the IEC's first hearing, on Ethics Watch's complaint againt former Secretary of State Mike Coffman, the IEC should make more changes to the complaint process.

Complaint filed over lawmaker’s living arrangement

ltoro — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:50:31 -0500

Lynn Bartels (The Denver Post) -- A Colorado Springs resident claims a state senator who is paying only $500 a month rent for a swanky downtown Denver condo is violating the state’s confusing ethics laws.

A complaint filed Wednesday with the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission says that Sen. John Morse accepted something of value greater than $50, which was outlawed when voters in 2006 approved Amendment 41.

Morse, a Colorado Springs Democrat and the Senate majority leader, said he had no idea a complaint has been filed but he has done nothing wrong.

Colo. Backs Off Claim Of Investigation Of Lawmaker

dstaggs — Mon, 8 Mar 2010 17:54:06 -0500

DENVER—State officials are backing off earlier statements that a Colorado state senator is being investigated for allegedly misleading consumers with advertising flyers that look like official tax documents.

Last week, Division of Real Estate Director Erin Toll said Republican state Sen. Ted Harvey was under investigation and that her department's investigators believed the flyer violated the law.

Secretary of State Tightens Campaign Disclosure Requirements

ltoro — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:34:31 -0500

Today, Secretary of State Bernie Buescher announced the adoption of revised campaign finance rules. Included in the rules is new Rule 4.25, which prohibits committees from reporting lump sum payments to credit card companies instead of reporting expenditures made by credit card, and which clarifies reporting requirements regarding reimbursement payments to candidates or third parties. Ethics Watch supported the rule change.

Ethics Watch Supports Proposed New Campaign Expenditure Disclosure Rule

ltoro — Fri, 5 Feb 2010 12:00:34 -0500

Today, Ethics Watch submitted to Secretary of State Bernie Buescher comments in support of a proposed campaign finance rule that would require campaigns to provide detailed disclosures of expenditures that were paid for by the candidate, third parties or by credit card and later reimbursed by the campaign. Secretary Buescher's proposed rule would end the practice of reporting only the reimbursement or credit card payment and not the underlying expenditure that was being reimbursed. If adopted, the new rule will increase transparency of campaign spending.

Doug Bruce Disclosure Violations No Threat To Petitions, So Far

dstaggs — Mon, 1 Feb 2010 10:59:53 -0500

John Tomasic (The Colorado Independent) - Colorado Springs Gazette writer Eileen Welsome reported yesterday that non-resident professional petition circulators worked in Colorado last year to land three tax-slashing initiatives on the November ballot. Welsome tracked the circulators to controversial anti-government figure Doug Bruce. She wrote that they stayed in a house owned by Bruce and that they had worked for similar initiatives in Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska. As Colorado Ethics Watch Director Luis Toro told the Colorado Independent, the revelations “bode pretty well” for the plaintiff fighting the initiatives who have brought a lawsuit alleging the proponents violated state disclosure laws by failing to report donors.

Attorney Regulation Counsel Rejects McElhany's Complaint Against Former Ethics Watch Director

ltoro — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:20:03 -0500

We won’t be silenced.

The Colorado Attorney Regulation Counsel summarily dismissed former Sen. Andy McElhany’s complaint against Chantell Taylor, former director of Colorado Ethics Watch, last week. The attorney regulation counsel required no response from Ms. Taylor to make that determination.

Ethics Watch Responds to Supreme Court Reversal of Campaign Finance Law

ltoro — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:20:08 -0500

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a 5-4 vote, that corporations have a First Amendment right to spend money on commercials to support or oppose candidates for public office. Ethics Watch Director Luis Toro said, "Today’s decision is a disaster for those who oppose excessive corporate influence on our elections. It would be naïve, however, for anyone involved in elections to interpret this ruling as the end of campaign finance regulation in Colorado. Eight Supreme Court justices agreed that corporations can be required to disclose their spending and include a disclaimer stating who is responsible for a campaign ad. Strong enforcement of these requirements is more important now than ever. At Ethics Watch, we remain committed to protecting Coloradans' right to know who is spending money to influence elections and to defending the system from the corrupting influence of special interests."

Ethics Watch Names Colorado’s Top Five Ethics Scandals of 2009

dstaggs — Wed, 6 Jan 2010 13:46:15 -0500

Ethics Watch today released its list of the Top Five Ethics Scandals of 2009 based on a busy year of watching, researching and litigating in many of these circumstances.

IEC Doubles Staff, Starts To Investigate Complaints

ltoro — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:44:09 -0500

One of the benefits of creating the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission (IEC) as an independent commission, not subject to control by the governor or the legislature, is that the IEC is not bound by the governor's hiring freeze order. Today, the IEC welcomed its second full-time staff member, and his arrival is cause for hope that the IEC will be able to more effectively investigate complaints in the future.

Ethics Watch Announces New Leadership

ltoro — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:59:43 -0500

Colorado Ethics Watch is pleased to announce that Luis Toro, its current senior counsel, will assume the role of director effective January 1, 2010. Ethics Watch’s current director, Chantell Taylor, has accepted the position of general counsel for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Public Interest Network, a national network of public interest advocacy groups.

Secretary of State hobbled in battle against clean-elections violators

ltoro — Fri, 4 Dec 2009 16:15:07 -0500

David O. Williams (The Colorado Independent) - Voters in Colorado care about clean elections and voted through a ballot initiative specifically to enact laws governing campaign finances in 2002. Lawbreakers have been caught and fined. But that’s apparently where enforcement ends. The list of groups violating the law includes an increasing number that simply skirt the fines judges have levied against them. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher now seems determined to go after the deadbeats, but his office told the Colorado Independent that the law, as it stands now, simply lacks teeth.

Too Many Penalties Uncollected

dstaggs — Wed, 2 Dec 2009 11:57:44 -0500

You might be surprised to learn that, at a time when the state cannot afford to squander a single resource, hundreds of thousands of dollars remain uncollected by the Colorado secretary of state's office for outstanding campaign finance penalties.