Ethics Watch Actions - Open Records Requests

El Paso Ballot Plan Raises New Questions About Election Preparedness

ltoro — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 13:15:35 -0600

After El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Robert Balink refused to release El Paso County's "ballot security plan" for tomorrow's general election, Ethics Watch obtained a copy of that plan from the Colorado Secretary of State's office. Balink had identified the security plan in response to Ethics Watch's October 7 request for documents regarding El Paso County's plans to print additional paper ballots as needed on election day. The security plan does not appear to address this issue, raising the question whether El Paso County has a plan in place in the event of Election Day ballot shortages.

Ethics Watch Calls On El Paso County Clerk and Recorder to Stop Stonewalling On Election Preparedness

ltoro — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:25:25 -0500

Colorado Ethics Watch today called on El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Robert Balink to release a copy of his election day preparedness plan in response to concerns that the clerk’s office is not prepared to handle ballot shortages at some or all voting locations in the county.

Ethics Watch Obtains Documents on El Paso County Election Readiness

ltoro — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:59:59 -0500

Ethics Watch is publishing documents it has received from El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Robert Balink in a partial response to Ethics Watch's October 7, 2008 CORA request. Mr. Balink provided Ethics Watch with documents regarding the allocation of ballots to voting locations and the decision to reduce the number of vote centers from six in 2006 to three in 2008. Ethics Watch will continue to press for transparency in El Paso County's management of the November 2008 election and will publish additional documents on its website when those documents are received.

Ethics Watch Seeks Records On El Paso County Election Readiness

ltoro — Tue, 7 Oct 2008 16:11:34 -0500

Amid increasing concern over whether El Paso County is prepared to handle potentially record turnout in the upcoming general election, Ethics Watch today sent a Colorado Open Records Act ("CORA") request to El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Robert Balink. Ethics Watch's CORA request seeks, among other things, documents regarding the decision to open only three early voting locations and the availability of paper ballots at Election Day voting locations.

Wade Norris Interviews Chantell Taylor and Bill Menezes About Holly Lowder's Resignation

ltoro — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:02:21 -0500

Wade Norris, the host of Ultimate Politics on 1510 AM radio in Denver, interviewed Chantell Taylor of Ethics Watch and Bill Menezes of Colorado Media Matters about the sudden resignation of Election Director Holly Lowder and the audit of the Secretary of State's office performed at the request of Ethics Watch.

Watch the video here.

State Elections Director Resigns Amid Ethics Watch Investigation

ltoro — Fri, 5 Sep 2008 12:18:38 -0500

State Elections Director Holly Lowder resigned Thursday without an official explanation. Lowder's resignation occurred shortly after Ethics Watch served a Colorado Open Records Act ("CORA") request on the Secretary of State's office seeking documents regarding state contracts with voter database consultant John Paulsen, who purportedly leased a condominium to Lowder.

Coffman Attacked Ethics Watch To Distract Attention From Wrongdoing

ltoro — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:57:29 -0500

E-mails obtained by Colorado Ethics Watch through a Colorado Open Records Act request show that Secretary of State Mike Coffman aggressively lobbied media outlets to minimize his wrongdoing and instead write negative stories about Colorado Ethics Watch. In one case, Coffman contacted a media outlet to discredit Ethics Watch's campaign finance complaint against the Committee to Elect Dr. Jim Geddes for CU Regent, even though Dr. Geddes' campaign committee is subject to Coffman's jurisdiction and the complaint resulted in a fine of $4000 to that committee.

Ethics Watch Probes Further into Black Hawk’s Use of Taxpayer Money

dstaggs — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:17:20 -0500

In response to recent reports regarding questionable spending in Black Hawk, Ethics Watch today issued a Colorado Open Records Act ("CORA") request and follow up letter to Black Hawk City Manager David Lessner. Among other things, the letters ask Mr. Lessner to provide answers about Black Hawk’s use of taxpayer money for city officials and their family members to attend a convention in Las Vegas and to explain why city officials are receiving sizable grants from the state historic preservation fund to renovate their private homes.

Ethics Watch Files Open Records Requests Regarding Leadville Tunnel Secret Meetings

admin — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:00:01 -0600

Colorado Ethics Watch has filed requests under the Colorado Open Records Act (“CORA”) regarding reported secret meetings involving State Senator Tom Wiens and members of the Board of County Commissioners of Lake County.

Ethics Watch Files A Freedom of Information Act Request in Regards to Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site

admin — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:00:01 -0600

Freedom of Information Act Request in Regards to Canyon Maneuver Site

Ethics Watch Requests Records on Longmont's LifeBridge Annexation

admin — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:00:01 -0500

On August 16, 2007, Ethics Watch filed a request under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) with the City of Longmont seeking documents regarding the city's recent annexation agreement with LifeBridge Church.

Ethics Watch Investigates Error in Collection of Coal Severance Tax

admin — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:00:01 -0500

Ethics Watch today submitted a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request to the Colorado Department of Revenue in response to reports that the state has failed to collect $40 million in coal severance taxes since 1993.

Ethics Watch Requests Audit of SOS and Files Open Records Request

admin — Mon, 7 May 2007 19:00:01 -0500

DENVER – Ethics Watch, a non-partisan, non-profit legal watchdog group, today called for a state audit of the Colorado Secretary of State’s (SOS) office to determine whether its employees have misused state resources for private gain. Ethics Watch also sent a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request to the SOS seeking information on events relating to a controversy involving Elections Technology Manager, Dan Kopelman.

CCEG Joins Call to Rescind Ault Prison Contract Awarded to The GEO Group, Inc.

admin — Sun, 4 Mar 2007 18:00:01 -0600

Chantell Taylor, Director of Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government (CCEG), released the following statement today regarding the Ault prison contract awarded to The GEO Group, Inc.:

CCEG Files Open Records Requests with Three Agencies Seeking Homeland Security Spending Documents

admin — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 18:00:01 -0600

CCEG today filed open records requests with the Department of Local Affairs, the Division of Emergency Management, and Department of Public Safety seeking copies of performance reports and audits regarding the state government’s use, spending, and/or allocation of federal funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

CCEG Files Freedom of Information Request to Determine Whether Beauprez Used Congressional Office to Benefit his Campaign

admin — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 19:00:01 -0500

DENVER – Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government today filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency to determine whether gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez broke the law by using information obtained from an ICE special agent for a political attack ad aired earlier this month against his opponent, former District Attorney Bill Ritter.

CCEG Files Open Records Request To Determine Legitimacy of Beauprez Investigation

admin — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:00:01 -0500

Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government filed Colorado Open Records Requests with the Office of Governor Bill Owens and the Colorado Department of Public Safety seeking records of communications between the two offices relating to the recent discovery that gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez may have broken the law by using information from a federal criminal database for a political attack ad against his opponent.

CCEG Open Records Request Suggests Lack of Full Disclosure and Cozy Relationship Between Governor and Trailhead

admin — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 19:00:01 -0500

Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government (CCEG), a nonprofit legal watchdog group, released 13 pages of records it received from Governor Bill Owens’ office in response to a CORA (Colorado Open Records Act) request sent by CCEG on August 4, 2006. The records suggest additional documents were withheld and that the Trailhead Group has a cozy relationship with the Governor’s Office.

CCEG Sends Colorado Open Records Act to Governor Owens' Office to Determine if Unlawful Coordination Took Place

admin — Thu, 3 Aug 2006 19:00:01 -0500

Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government (CCEG) has sent a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request to the Office of Governor Owens to determine if the Governor engaged in unlawful coordination with the Republican 527, The Trailhead Group.