April 22, 2012 04:09 AM UTC

Why Was Jim Congrove Honored on the Senate Floor?

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• by: Colorado Pols

Last week, State Senator Evie Hudak co-sponsored a resolution honoring former State Senator (and Jefferson County Commissioner) Jim Congrove on the floor of the Senate. Congrove, who opted not to run for re-election in 2008 after becoming embroiled in several corruption scandals, died earlier this year.

From the Colorado Senate Majority:

DENVER─ Today, the Senate honored former Republican Senator Jim Congrove in a bipartisan memorial resolution sponsored by Senator Evie Hudak (D-Westminster).  Senator Congrove was a Vietnam War veteran and former undercover narcotics officer. He was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1994 and to the Colorado State Senate in 1996.  Senator Congrove also served as a Jefferson County Commissioner from 2005-2009.  He passed away on January 10.

Below is the full text of Senator Congrove’s Senate memorial:

WHEREAS, Our respected former colleague, Jim Congrove, a past  member of the Colorado Senate and House of Representatives, departed this life on January 10, 2012, at the age of 65, in Arvada; and

WHEREAS, Senator Congrove was born on May 5, 1946; and

WHEREAS, Senator Congrove graduated from Boys Town in Nebraska, where he was named head commissioner in the cottage where he resided; and

WHEREAS, After serving in the Vietnam War, Senator Congrove returned to Colorado and enrolled in Adams State College; and

WHEREAS, Senator Congrove served first in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1994 to 1996, during which time he served on the House Finance and State Veterans and Military Affairs committees; and

WHEREAS, From 1996 to 2000, Senator Congrove served in the Colorado Senate, where he was a member of several committees, including the Health Environment Welfare and Institutions, Local Government, and State Veterans and Military Affairs committees; and

WHEREAS, While serving in the Colorado General Assembly, Senator Congrove, who was a former undercover narcotics officer, sponsored a bill that further restricted no-knock warrants; and

WHEREAS, While serving in the Senate, Senator Congrove also sponsored a bill granting disabled veterans free entrance to parks, legislation affecting the governance of charter schools, and legislation updating the certification system of the Peace Officers Standards and Training Board; and

WHEREAS, Senator Congrove’s public service did not end with his tenure in the General Assembly; in 2004, he was elected as Jefferson County Commissioner for District 1; and

WHEREAS, Senator Congrove said that the primary job of a county commissioner was to be a good steward of the taxpayers’ dollars and support property rights, government accountability, and limited taxation; and

WHEREAS, As a pilot himself, Senator Congrove had a particular interest in improving the Jefferson County Airport, which he called “the absolute crown jewel of Jefferson County”, and he was instrumental in changing its name to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his involvement with public service, Senator Congrove cherished his family and loved spending time with them, especially his two daughters and three grandchildren; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-eighth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:

That, in the death of Jim Congrove, the people of the state of Colorado have lost a dedicated public servant and outstanding citizen, and that we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, do hereby extend our deep and heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family and pay tribute to a man who served his state well and faithfully.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Memorial be sent to Senator Congrove’s wife, Judy Congrove; his two daughters, Jennifer Fawcett and Jamie Lombardi; and his sister, Marie Hebdon.

We’re sure that this resolution means a lot to Congrove’s grieving family. That said, however, Congrove’s reputation as a crook most certainly overshadows the positive contributions he did make to public service.

After all, this is the same Jim Congrove who was a card-carrying member of the Jeffco “Kings of Corruption,” alongside former Commissioner Kevin McCasky and former Treasurer Mark Paschall. This is the same Jim Congrove who was accused of using public funds to spy on county employees, county critics, private citizens, and even other elected officials; who cost Jeffco taxpayers thousands of dollars in legal fees; who was accused of lying to investigators about his role in the mysterious disappearance of legal files. The list goes on and on.

What was Senator Hudak thinking? We understand the mentality behind memorializing recently-deceased politicians, but usually, those politicians left behind a legacy worth honoring. Jim Congrove’s repeated ethical missteps as a county commissioner should have totally precluded the passage — or even the introduction — of this resolution.

Put simply, you can’t whitewash over Congrove’s ethical missteps just because he passed away.

Congrove might have believed that his job as a county commissioner was to “be a good steward of the taxpayers’ dollars” and to champion government accountability. The problem is the gigantic chasm between what Congrove said and what he did. It’s absurd to celebrate his words while ignoring his actions.

Evie Hudak and the General Assembly could pass hundreds of gushing resolutions honoring Jim Congrove, but they won’t make his tainted legacy go away. You can’t forgive the unforgivable.

After all, people will remember Jim Congrove not for the kind words spoken about him in the halls of government but instead for the gallons of newspaper ink directly tying him to scandal.