Legal Filings

Legal Filings

Ethics Watch Calls on Colorado Springs to Drop Bruce Appeal

In response to the City of Colorado Springs’ filing of an appeal of State Administrative Law Judge Robert Spencer’s ruling that the City must enforce its own home rule election laws, Colorado Ethics Watch called on the City to drop the appeal and pursue the investigation of Douglas Bruce and the Reform Team PAC in the municipal court system.

“As a home rule city, Colorado Springs is responsible for enforcing its own campaign finance laws. The law on this is so clear that Judge Spencer dismissed the case and sent it back to the City for prosecution without even waiting for a response from us. For the City to take this to the Court of Appeals is a waste of time and money,” said Luis Toro, Director of Ethics Watch. “If city officials are not comfortable pursuing campaign finance violations through the municipal courts, then they should ask City Council to change the ordinance, not file an appeal. Ethics Watch stands ready to work with the winner of the runoff election for Mayor and the new City Council to develop reforms to Colorado Springs’ municipal code so that Colorado Springs voters can make informed choices at the ballot box and those who violate disclosure laws are subject to swift sanctions.”