May 23, 2014 08:35 AM UTC

Sheriff Terry Maketa Joins Anthony Weiner Hall of Shame

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• by: Colorado Pols

One of the leading voices among Colorado's elected county sheriffs in the backlash against gun safety legislation passed in 2013 was El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa. You can see Maketa on the cover of the August 2013 issue of NRA Magazine (above), front and center in the gray shirt. More than just a vocal opponent, Maketa went as far as accusing Democratic legislators of threatening the sheriffs with fiscal retaliation for opposing the bills–allegations which collapsed very quickly, but not fast enough to prevent them becoming part of the vast apocryphal body of misinformation about gun control in Colorado.

In recent months, however, Maketa's record as El Paso County sheriff has come under intense scrutiny as longstanding allegations of fiscal impropriety and inappropriate relationships with subordinate employees have resurfaced–this time with the evidence needed to substantiate them. And today, after a thorough investigation and lots of lead-up stories hinting at major turmoil in Sheriff Maketa's office, the Colorado Springs Gazette gives us a new image of Maketa–perhaps the one for which he will go down in local history.

That is, the naked one.

El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa is embroiled in accusations of sex with subordinates, abusive treatment of employees and dismantling oversight of the office budget that could stain his 12-year career and sink future prospects for one of the most powerful local Republicans.

Maketa allegedly has had sexual relationships with three female subordinates for years, traveling with them using public funds, promoting them to top jobs despite objections from commanders and threatening anyone he suspected of mentioning the relationships, according to interviews and documents obtained by The Gazette.

The allegations come from a seven-page complaint by three of his commanders that rebukes Maketa's term in office, accusing him of repeated sexual impropriety, discrimination, creating a hostile work environment, violating the civil rights of those who work in the Sheriff's Office, using intimidation to keep people quiet about his misdeeds and removing almost all oversight of the $60 million Sheriff's Office annual budget.

The painstaking detail of the Gazette's report on Maketa today is a must-read, though readers at work should be aware it does get a little PG-13 at times. People are certainly entitled to hook up, but the allegations of long-term favoritism, fiscal secrecy, and open bullying of subordinates to protect both Maketa and his alleged affairs are morally (and perhaps legally) career-ending. Though term-limited as El Paso County Sheriff, Maketa has been a frequent mention for higher elected office of all kinds–maybe even Rep. Doug Lamborn's replacement in Congress.

You're going to hear less of that now.