This is the first annual report produced by Colorado Ethics Watch (“Ethics Watch”) chronicling the ethical transgressions of state and local public officials.  Over the past few years, the issue of government ethics has taken on new resonance.  In the 2006 mid-term elections, national exit polls showed that 42% of voters called corruption an extremely important issue in their choices at the polls, ahead of terrorism, the economy and the war in Iraq.  In Colorado, voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment 41 to the state constitution, which sets some of the strictest government ethics rules in the country.  Despite this mandate and increased media and public awareness of government ethics issues, many public officials continue to behave as if they are beyond reproach.

In the first section of this report, Ethics Watch documents the unethical and unlawful activities of ten public officials: four state elected officials and six local elected officials.  Their ethical transgressions range from undisclosed conflicts of interest and public censure to campaign finance violations and assault with a deadly weapon.          

In the second section of this report, Ethics Watch profiles one state elected official whose conduct appears patently unethical but is technically not illegal.  This official, categorized as dishonorable mention, demonstrates the need for stricter ethics laws at the state and local level.  Too often public officials are exonerated for unethical conduct because either no enforcement mechanism exists in state or local ethics rules or because the conduct in question technically does not rise to the level of a crime.  Until public officials are held accountable for all of their ethical transgressions, corruption will continue to undermine the public good.

The purpose of this report is not just to bring attention to the unethical conduct of those named in the report but also to increase public awareness about the subject of government accountability generally.  Although much of the information contained in this report is available from other sources, this is the first time it has been compiled in one place.  While the allegations against some named officials have been well publicized, the activities of others have gone relatively unnoticed. 

This report is by no means exhaustive and Ethics Watch is mindful that countless other public officials may have committed similar and perhaps more egregious acts.  And since this report only names current public officials, many others demonstrating unethical and illegal behavior in the past year who have since resigned have been left out.      

View the full report.

View the exhibits