December 28, 2011 11:23 PM UTC

Jeffco's Own "Top Ethical Failure" of 2011

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• by: Colorado Pols

We’ve previously written about Colorado’s Independent Ethics Commission’s investigation surrounding former Jefferson County Commissioner Kevin McCasky.

Colorado Ethics Watch filed a complaint with the Ethics Commission alleging that McCasky lobbied for an increase in county funding to the Jefferson Economic Council while at the same time applying for his current position as president there.

As it turns out, that was (or at least looks like) an incredibly corrupt – not to mention asinine – thing to do. While it may have earned McCasky the job and a pretty pay check, he’s now facing the kind of scorn that will almost certainly smother any future political aspirations. In fact, his actions have earned the rare qualification of “top ethical failure.”

From Colorado Ethics Watch:

Ethics Watch, a nonpartisan, nonprofit legal watchdog group, today released Ethics Roundup: Top Ethical Failures of 2011, the organization’s fourth annual report highlighting Colorado’s public officials, agencies and municipalities who have either committed ethics violations or shown significant lack of judgment that places their behavior in the top tier of ethical failures in the state in the past year.

“Only by paying attention to the actions of our government agencies and officials, identifying ethical lapses, and shining a light on them will we be assured to have what Colorado voters have demanded – transparent and accountable public leaders,” said Luis Toro, director of Colorado Ethics Watch.

…

Golden Parachute:  After submitting his resume for a highly paid position at the Jefferson Economic Council, Jefferson County Commissioner Kevin McCasky voted to approve a $400,000 grant, an increase of $20,000 over the previous year, from Jefferson County to that organization.

Pior to his tenure at the Jefferson Economics Council, McCasky’s name was often brought up as a potential Republican candidate for CD-7. The commissioner was twice elected countywide despite being by and large perceived as culpable in most of Jeffco’s famed ethical troubles. With this recent investigation, however, McCasky’s name is forever tarnished – he’ll never be able to live down the potential mailers or television ads labeling him as corrupt and making mention of his “golden parachute.”

Unless, of course, he figures out a way to buy a seat in Congress using public funds. It sounds impossible, but it’s par for the course in Jefferson County, where elected officials are the most innovative when determining ways to waste taxpayer dollars.