CCEG rebukes Coffman’s inadequate response to SOS employee’s actions

DENVER – In response to a request filed the morning of May 8th by Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government (CCEG), a non-partisan, non-profit legal watchdog group, the Colorado State Auditor today agreed to expand a current audit of the Colorado Secretary of State’s (SOS) office to determine whether its employees have misused state resources for private gain.

Following published reports recounting SOS employee Dan Kopelman’s misuse of state resources and conflicting business activities, as well as accounts by confidential sources of other potential malfeasance in the SOS, CCEG requested on Tuesday that a scheduled SOS audit be expanded to include (1) whether SOS employees misused state resources for personal financial gain; (2) whether SOS employees engaged in activities that posed a conflict of interest with their official duties; (3) whether the SOS is complying with state and federal requirements pertaining to the maintenance of voter files; and (4) whether the SOS has been enforcing campaign finance registration, reporting and disclosure requirements, and imposing penalties when appropriate.

Several hours after CCEG sent the original request to the auditor, Secretary Coffman followed suit with a more limited request asking only for an investigation into allegations of wrong-doing by Mr. Kopelman. Auditor Sally Symanski has agreed to expand the existing audit to include CCEG’s more comprehensive request.

“Based in CCEG’s request, Auditor Symanski has agreed to not only look at Mr. Kopelman’s wrong-doing, but also to investigate whether the secretary’s office is adequately performing all of its required functions,” said Chantell Taylor, CCEG director. “We hope the Secretary and his staff will provide their full cooperation and stop these efforts to mislead the public about the severity of these issues.”

CCEG also rebuked Secretary Coffman’s half-hearted attempts to discipline Mr. Kopelman with a slight demotion and called for the Secretary to consider further disciplinary action.

“Now that Secretary Coffman’s office has publicly admitted that Kopelman’s actions violated at least two state personnel rules, it is clear that his demotion amounted to nothing more than a minor slap on the wrist,” Taylor continued. “The Secretary should keep all disciplinary actions open pending the results of the audit.”

The letter to the State Auditor and CORA request are available on CCEG’s website.

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Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government (CCEG) is a non-profit, legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials in Colorado accountable for their actions. For more information, please visit www.coloradoforethics.org or contact Chantell Taylor at (303) 626-2100 ctaylor@coloradoforethics.org