May 17, 2007 07:39 PM UTC

Coffman Scrambles to Outline New Policy

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• by: Colorado Pols

You can file this under “too little, too late.” Republican Secretary of State Mike Coffman, who has been under fire after it was revealed that political appointee Dan Kopelman was running a business selling voter lists, today announced new internal policies. According to a press release:

Secretary of State Mike Coffman today announced a new policy restricting outside, partisan political activity of employees of his office who are directly or indirectly involved in elections.

The policy details what political activities employees may – and may not – engage in outside of their official position with the Secretary of State’s office.

This is certainly a necessary step, but it still doesn’t help Coffman escape his claim that he didn’t know what Kopelman was doing. Creating a new employee policy doesn’t excuse the fact that what Kopelman was doing was wrong to begin with, and Coffman should have known that.

Click below for the full press release from the SOS office.

Secretary of State Mike Coffman today announced a new policy restricting outside, partisan political activity of employees of his office who are directly or indirectly involved in elections.

The policy details what political activities employees may – and may not – engage in outside of their official position with the Secretary of State’s office.

In developing the new policy, department staff contacted secretaries of state from across the nation to determine what, if any, guidelines other state elections officials have in place regarding outside, partisan political activity. The new policy, effective immediately, gives Colorado some of the toughest standards in the country. Every affected employee will be required to sign a form stating that they have read and agree to the restrictions.

“The most sacred of all of the freedoms bestowed upon Americans is the right to vote,” Coffman said. “It is my responsibility – and the responsibility of every employee in this office – to make sure that this right is exercised under a process that is always fair and honest to the voters of our state. This policy will help ensure that we never fall short of this standard.”

“I recognize that this policy should have been implemented on January 9, day one of my administration,” Coffman continued. “I take full responsibility for this policy not being in place prior to today.”

The new policy is as follows:

PROHIBITED POLITICAL ACTIVITIES:

  * Publicly endorse or oppose, or actively work for or against a candidate for a partisan office, a political party, a statewide ballot initiative or a referendum.

  * Contribute to a partisan organization or political party, candidate for a partisan office, or an organization that is working for or against a statewide ballot initiative or a referendum.

  * Hold an official position in a partisan organization or political party.  Participate in the partisan nominating process by attending precinct caucuses, assemblies or conventions.

  * Be a candidate for, or hold, a partisan public office.

PERMITTED POLITICAL ACTIVIES:

  * Register to vote under a partisan affiliation.

  * Fully participate in nonpartisan political activities, to include being a candidate for, or holding, a nonpartisan public office.

Coffman has also placed himself under tighter political restrictions.

“I believe it is important for the Secretary of State, as the state’s chief elections official, to be held to the same high standards; so I will adhere to the same restrictions regarding endorsing or contributing to partisan candidates, statewide referendums and ballot initiatives.”