Denver Mayor Mike Johnston expressed confidence in Fire Chief Desmond Fulton despite a recent no-confidence vote from nearly 900 Denver firefighters. The vote was a response to a scandal involving the chief’s use of comp time, identified in a CBS Colorado Investigation. The investigation revealed that Fulton and his top commanders were awarding themselves comp time for routine events, allowing them to cash in vacation days for significant sums of money. An independent investigation commissioned by Mayor Johnston deemed this practice “problematic” and “illegal”.
Although Assistant Chief Patrick Hynes, who supported the no-confidence vote, stated that the vote was not related to diversity within the department but rather to concerns about financial impropriety, Mayor Johnston defended Chief Fulton’s leadership and commitment to diversity in the department. Mayor Johnston stated that he believed Fulton was the right leader for the Fire Department and praised his advocacy for a department that reflects the community it serves.
Despite the controversy, Mayor Johnston made it clear that he had no plans to discipline Fulton or other officials involved in the scandal. The lack of response from Chief Fulton and Deputy Chief Vredenburgh to the no-confidence vote raised concerns among some firefighters, who felt that their voices were being ignored. Assistant Chief Hynes criticized the Mayor’s response and emphasized that the vote was about integrity and financial accountability, not diversity.
