October 18, 2012 12:34 PM UTC

Ethics Watch Seeks Criminal Probe of Gessler RNC Reimbusements

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As the Fort Collins Coloradoan’s Patrick Malone reports:

A watchdog organization on Monday requested criminal and ethical investigations into Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler’s use public funds to attend what it considers partisan events.

In a story first reported last week by The Coloradoan, Gessler was reimbursed about $1,200 from his discretionary budget to attend a conference of the Republican National Lawyer’s Association in advance of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla…

The watchdog organization Ethics Watch in a letter asked Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey and Denver Police Chief Robert White to investigate its accusation that Gessler misappropriated state funds for personal or political use associated with the Florida trip.

Specifically, Ethics Watch wants criminal investigations conducted into whether Gessler committed official misconduct, embezzlement or falsely altering a public record.

Colorado Ethics Watch adds in their press release:

Secretary Gessler attended the Republican National Lawyers Association election law training in Sarasota, Florida on August 24 and 25. He then traveled to the Tampa, Florida area on August 26 to spend the week there during the Republican National Convention, although it is assumed he was not a delegate to that convention. The Secretary of State requested reimbursement for his attendance at these events, certifying that they were not “personal or political.”

The Republican National Lawyers Association is a private organization of lawyers dedicated, among other things, to “advancing Republican ideals” through “a nationwide network of supportive lawyers who understand and directly support Republican policy, agendas and candidates.”

“The Secretary of State’s conduct implicates several laws against public corruption,” said Luis Toro, director of Colorado Ethics Watch. “This is an important moment for enforcement authorities in Colorado. Will we continue to pat ourselves on the back that we haven’t seen the abuses found in other states, while turning a blind eye to misconduct when it does happen? Or will we act swiftly to stamp out corruption before it becomes an accepted part of our politics?”

In addition, the Coloradoan’s Patrick Malone reports that Ethics Watch filed a complaint with the state’s Independent Ethics Commission, asking if Gessler broke any state ethics rules (see: Amendment 41) by seeking reimbursement for these travel expenses. Ethics Watch’s letter to Denver DA Mitch Morrissey only address the expenses from Gessler’s RNC trip; in addition, there are unanswered questions about a trip Gessler took earlier in the summer to speak at a press conference for the True the Vote pollwatching group in Washington, D.C.

Read Ethics Watch’s letter to DA Morrissey here.

If the criminal investigation proves Ethics Watch’s suspicions, Gessler could face criminal charges ranging from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 5 felony of embezzlement of public funds.