DENVER – Colorado Ethics Watch, a nonpartisan, nonprofit legal watchdog group, today released a new report entitled Ethics Roundup: Colorado’s Most Corrupt Public Officials, profiling 11 of Colorado’s most unethical public officials. The first annual report includes a “Most Corrupt” list, and a “Dishonorable Mention.” Ethics Watch created the report by researching Colorado officials’ malfeasance and analyzing their conduct in light of state and local laws.

“Colorado citizens have the right to know if their elected officials are engaged in unethical or illegal activities,” said Chantell Taylor, director of Colorado Ethics Watch. “While some of these violations have been reported, many others went undetected. This compendium of corruption by Colorado Ethics Watch exposes and holds accountable those public officials who have acted as though they are above the law.”

In the study, Secretary of State Mike Coffman leads the list of offenders with his egregious pattern of unethical conduct. Other officials in the report have committed transgressions ranging from undisclosed conflicts of interest to campaign violations and assault with a deadly weapon.

Colorado’s public officials included in Ethics Roundup include:

· Secretary of State Mike Coffman

· Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany

· State Representative Douglas Bruce

· State Representative Wesley McKinley

· Alamosa County Commissioner Darius Allen

· District Attorney Carol Chambers

· Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier

· Denver City Auditor Dennis Gallagher

· Blackhawk Mayor David Spellman

· Wheat Ridge City Councilman Terry Womble

· Board of Education Member Bob Schaffer (Dishonorable Mention)

Ethics Watch compiled the report by reviewing news reports, campaign finance records, state audits, emails, and personal financial and travel disclosure forms. Ethics Watch’s legal experts analyzed this information for violations of state laws, regulations or ethics rules. Designed to bring public attention to the matter of government accountability, this is the first report of its kind in Colorado.

The full report and all related exhibits are available on the Colorado Ethics Watch website at www.coloradoforethics.org.