Press

PRESS
August 01, 2012

The Public Trustee Ethics Crisis: Where Do We Go From Here?

The Denver Post's David Migoya deserves praise for his investigative reporting on ethics problems involving Colorado's public trustees. Last year, he broke the story that a law firm and software vendor involved in foreclosure work, which is administered by the public trustees, financially supported the public trustees' non-profit association and some trustees' campaigns for office. This year, he revealed questionable transactions involving some of the 10 public trustees appointed by the governor, including an office lease in a building owned by Pueblo County Trustee Nick Gradisar and a sham bidding process for a public notice contract signed by Mesa County Trustee Paul Brown.

Governor Hickenlooper deserves credit for acting swiftly to get control over the 10 gubernatorial appointees. He's required them to reapply for their jobs if they wish to remain in office, file conflict of interest statements, and obtain approval of all purchases or contracts above $5,000.