State Bill Colorado » Ethics

Ethics Panel Takes Up Case of Lobbyist’s Alleged Threat

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:35:21 +0000

A lobbyist accused of threatening physical violence against a lawmaker will get an expedited hearing as an ethics panel meets today and seeks to reach a decision by Friday, The Denver Post reports.

The three-person panel convened Tuesday, giving the public a first glimpse at both the complaint filed by Rep. Wes Mc Kinley, D-Walsh, and a response from lobbyist Nate Gorman that show just how volatile a long-standing feud between the two has become.

Rep. McKinley Says Lobbyist Was Threatening; He Denies It

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:28:36 +0000

Rep. Wes McKinley, D-Walsh has filed a legislative complaint against lobbyist Nate Gorman over an alleged exchange Tuesday involving the controversy over Trinidad State Nursing Home, The Pueblo Chieftain reports.

“Nate came up and said he was going to cut my lying tongue out and stuff it down my lying throat,” McKinley said.

Gorman said Thursday he hadn’t seen the formal complaint and denied threatening McKinley. “It’s a shame (McKinley) is filing a personal complaint about me to influence the outcome of this particular issue in the Legislature,” Gorman said.

Ethics Panel Officially Admonishes Grand Junction Legislator

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:02:27 +0000

The House Ethics Committee formally submitted its letter addressing a complaint of double-dipping travel expenses lodged against Rep. Steve King, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports. The letter admonishes the Grand Junction Republican for how he claimed travel expenses from his campaign account and the state during the 2009 legislative session, but said the committee said King violated no ethics rules.

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Ethics Committee Clears Rep. King in Probe of Reimbursements

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:59:11 +0000

An ethics committee Friday cleared Rep. Steve King of a violation in connection with travel expenses shortly after he apologized to his colleagues and reimbursed the state in a related matter, The Denver Post reports. The Grand Junction Republican told the House that in answering the ethics complaint filed against him by Colorado Ethics Watch, he found an issue that hadn’t been raised: He overcharged taxpayers for a rental car.

Other coverage:

Grand Junction Daily Sentinel: Rep. Steve King got a slap on the wrist Friday but was cleared of violating ethics rules over his handling of travel expenses. A House ethics committee ruled the Grand Junction Republican did not intend to enrich himself by getting reimbursed for gasoline and a rental car from his campaign account and a state travel reimbursement at the same time. But the panel of three Democrats and two Republicans said King handled the matter poorly.

Associated Press: The House Ethics Committee cleared Republican Rep. Steve King of accusations he violated ethics rules on Friday after King apologized to fellow Colorado lawmakers for “accounting errors” and said he has reimbursed the state for $914.53 for keeping a deposit on a rental car. “I am angry at myself for disappointing the people I am here to serve, and even more than that, I realize my error could reflect badly on the House of Representatives,” King told the 65 members of the House on Friday. “I am truly sorry.”

King Ethics Probe to Keep Narrow Focus

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:05:10 +0000

A special House Ethics Committee will keep a narrow focus on its review of Rep. Steve King’s alleged double-dipping of state-paid mileage reimbursement and the use of his own campaign money seemingly for the same purpose, the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports. The committee, made up of three Democrats and two Republicans, agreed Wednesday to keep its focus on that single issue because it was the core of a complaint against the Grand Junction Republican by Colorado Ethics Watch.

Editor’s Note: Premium subscribers of State Bill Colorado can listen to today’s ethics hearing by clicking this player. Not yet a subscriber? Read about features and benefits of our service here.

Rep. King’s Defense: Not A Double Dip, But A Loan

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:23:17 +0000

Steve King

Grand Junction Rep. Steve King, facing an ethics probe into whether he charged both the state and his campaign for travel expenses, reimbursed his campaign $1,025 in April and May, a legislative ethics panel heard this morning, The Denver Post reports. The repayment came long before a Denver watchdog group filed a complaint against King, which Republican Rep. Mark Waller said casts a new light on the allegations of double dipping.

Editor’s Note: Premium subscribers of State Bill Colorado can listen to today’s ethics hearing by clicking this player. Not yet a subscriber? Read about features and benefits of our service here.

Grand Junction Lawmaker Steve King Accused of Double-Dipping

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:36:28 +0000

State Rep. Steve King asked the state to reimburse him for mileage, gas and a meal at a pancake house last year, even though records suggest his campaign account already was footing the bill for those expenses, The Denver Post reports. King, R-Grand Junction, faces a statehouse ethics panel today and an allegation by a political-watchdog group that he has double-dipped. King, a police investigator, declined to explain the transactions until after the ethics committee delivers its findings.

The House Ethics Committee will meet at 8 a.m. in Room 0111. Listen to a live feed of the hearing when it happens here.