Senate President James Coleman has announced that the ethics complaint against Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis is moving to a committee. Jaquez Lewis, a Democrat from Longmont, has been accused of mistreating her aides, including paying one aide to do landscaping and tend bar with campaign funds. She failed to report these expenditures in campaign finance reports. Jaquez Lewis has acknowledged an oversight and is amending her reports to reflect the payments. The Political Workers Guild filed the complaint on behalf of several aides, demanding Jaquez Lewis resign. However, Coleman stated the complaint was not dismissible and appointed a committee to investigate. The committee will be chaired by Senator Julie Gonzales and consists of both Democratic and Republican senators. Jaquez Lewis has 10 days to respond to the committee’s allegations.
In her address to the Senate, Gonzales emphasized the importance of the ethics committee’s work and reminded colleagues to uphold the public’s trust. She also asked senators not on the committee to refrain from engaging in the investigation process. No meeting date has been set for the committee’s first meeting. Jaquez Lewis has been denied committee assignments and is barred from using Senate funds for aide payments, but can still use campaign money. The investigation comes amid concerns over Jaquez Lewis’s ability to manage her office and show respect to staff and colleagues.
Source
Photo credit denvergazette.com
Senate committee to launch inquiry into Jaquez Lewis | Latest Updates
