November 14, 2023 06:29 AM UTC

Colorado Republican Party Censures GOP State Senator, Calls for His Resignation

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• by: Erik Maulbetsch

The Colorado Republican Party today not only announced its censure of state Sen. Larry Liston (R-Colo Springs), but called on him to resign immediately.

The censure addresses his filing of a criminal complaint against the husband the El Paso County party chair Vickie Tonkins, following an altercation between them at a county party meeting in December 2021. In an email to the GOP’s Central Committee members, state Republican Party Chair Dave Williams explained the Executive Committee’s decision to formally censure and rebuke one of its longest-serving legislators.

“This censure was adopted after evidence was provided to the committee by the resolution sponsor, Brad Colins [sic] of El Paso County, that demonstrated Sen. Liston abused his political power to have the Colorado Springs Police Chief, Adrian Vasquez, reopen a closed investigation against a political opponent,” wrote Williams.

“This action was not taken lightly but, from time to time, it is the responsibility of our Party to hold accountable our own members when they make decisions that are harmful and run counter to our values.”

The resignation demand appears at the end of a video Williams also shared in his email to state GOP Central Committee members. Set to ominous music and using stronger language than the censure itself, the video compilation of police body camera and interview-room footage shows Liston’s two conversations with law enforcement, both on the day of the incident and his subsequent meeting with another office at a Colorado Springs police station.

After claiming Liston “abused his power and forced taxpayers to prosecute an innocent man,” the video, titled “Condensed Video Evidence,” concludes by directing viewers to “demand the press do its job by exposing Sen. Liston’s corruption,” and “demand Sen. Larry Liston resign now!”

Williams did not respond to an email request for comment as to whether he expects Liston to resign and if not, if he would attempt to find a primary challenger to run against Liston next year. This article will be updated with any response received.

As noted in the censure, Liston filed a criminal complaint against Rex Tonkins following a disputed incident at an El Paso County GOP meeting. The censure claims that while police initially declined to file charges, Liston “used his political influence with Police Chief Adrian Vasquez to have investigators revisit the matter.” Tonkins was eventually charged, tried and acquitted.

When the censure resolution was first proposed back in September, Liston told Colorado Politics that he didn’t plan on fighting it, that it was a “done deal…the fix is in.”

Reached for comment, Liston was emphatic that he will not resign.

“Not just no but hell no,” said Liston. “Dave Williams is beholden to Vickie Tonkins — and vice versa — so this comes as no surprise. It’s a sad state of affairs that our party has devolved to where it’s attacking fellow Republicans. His real job should be raising money and raising the profile of the party and recruiting good candidates. There’s no question I was verbally assaulted and harangued by a belligerent thug. Which is why they [El Paso County DA prosecutors] brought the charges. I didn’t bring the charges.”

Liston also noted that the vote to censure him was 11-6, taken by the 16 members of the state GOP’s Executive Committee, whom he characterized as hand-picked by Williams. Liston, who served six nonconsecutive terms in the state House before winning election to the state Senate in 2020, plans to run for re-election next year, for what would be his eighth term in legislative office.

“I’ll take my campaign to the people who count — the people of the Tenth District,” said Liston. “My constituents know me and like me and that’s who really matters.”

Read the full text of the censure here:

Censure Resolution of Sen. Larry Liston

WHEREAS, an assault allegedly occurred on December 6, 2021, after a meeting of the El Paso County Republican Executive Committee in which angry words were exchanged and alleged contact was made in the form a chest bump; and

WHEREAS, Senator Larry Liston submitted a criminal complaint against Mr. Rex Tonkins to the police, and bragged that “the DA knows me well” during the initial police interview; and

WHEREAS, after their initial investigation, the police determined that no further action was to be taken for lack of probable cause; and

WHEREAS, an additional investigation was later commenced by the police because Sen. Liston admitted in a police interview to using his political influence with Police Chief Adrian Vasquez to have investigators revisit the matter; and

WHEREAS, the case was referred by the 4th Judicial District to the Colorado Springs City Attorney’s Office for prosecution, which was subsequently tried in court where Mr. Tonkins was acquitted (found not guilty) by a jury of his peers; and

WHEREAS, the case also caused Mr. Tonkins significant financial harm costing several thousands of dollars to defend himself while Sen. Liston benefited by not having any out- of-pocket legal expenses because taxpayers paid for this unjust prosecution; now therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Colorado Republican Party, that Sen. Liston’s push for an unwarranted criminal complaint was inappropriate and that he used his position to further influence law enforcement and the prosecution of this case; and

RESOLVED, that Senator Liston is censured and rebuked for his actions; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we express our apologies to Mr. Tonkins for the harm that occurred to him personally and financially because of the actions taken by Sen. Liston.