A legislative complaint filed against a lobbyist for allegedly attempting to influence the election for House minority leader will move forward, a legislative committee announced Friday.
Meanwhile, a second complaint filed by House Minority Leader Mike May (R-Parker) against a Republican House member is in limbo, as the House Speaker, the House majority leader and the House minority leader must decide whether to convene a special committee to hear the complaint.
The complaint against the lobbyist, announced by the executive committee of the Legislative Council on Friday morning, involves concerns that the lobbyist offered campaign contributions to House GOP members in connection with supporting Assistant House Minority Leader David Balmer (R-Centennial) for minority leader.
The Colorado Chiropractic Association and its lobbyist, Erik Groves, have been named in the media and by insiders as being involved with that complaint.
Balmer and state Rep. Frank McNulty (R-Highlands Ranch) were set to face off for House minority leader after May announced earlier this month that he was resigning to tend to his hotel business. But May said Friday that he’ll postpone his resignation “indefinitely” to deal with the ethics complaints and state budget concerns.
Now, that lobbyist complaint will be heard by a special committee consisting of one member appointed by the House Speaker, one member appointed by the Senate President, and one member selected by the two appointees.
May said penalties for the complaint against the lobbyist -- who he didn’t name -- could be as severe as revoking the lobbyist’s registration.
Legislative Legal Services said Friday that the lobbyist complaint would be made public as soon as Friday afternoon after procedural formalities -- such as notifying everyone named in the complaint -- were completed.
A separate but related complaint filed by May seeks to find whether a House GOP member was involved with or coordinated that lobbying, May said to reporters Friday.
That complaint, under legislative rules, goes to House Speaker Andrew Romanoff (D-Denver), House Majority Leader Alice Madden (D-Boulder) and Minority Leader May to consider. If two of the three approve it -– or, rather, one of the two besides May, who filed the complaint –- a special committee will be convened to consider the charges.
Romanoff’s office declined to comment on whether a special committee has been approved or not.
Sources told Mile High Politics that a third complaint had been filed against former state GOP legal counsel John Zakhem for offering campaign contributions in connection with electing Balmer House minority leader. But no mention was made of that complaint by the Legislative Council's executive committee Friday.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Where things stand now with the legislative complaints
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Casiano fourth candidate to seek May's HD-44 seat
Alexander said a fifth person was considering entering the race, but she didn't want to release that person's name until he or she had made a decision.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
May postpones resignation, citing leadership election interference
House Minority Leader Mike May (R-Parker) released this statement Tuesday afternoon:
“Today I have made the difficult decision to temporarily delay my retirement from the House because of my sense of duty to the members of the Republican caucus. With the possibility that outside influences may have attempted to interfere with the leadership election, and the reality of a delayed election, I do not feel that now would be an appropriate time to leave.
“I will remain the Representative of House District 44 and will continue to serve as Minority Leader until this situation has been resolved, as long as that may take.”
May told the Denver Post that he wasn't allowed to discuss the matter, which insinuates a formal complaint has been filed.
May had planned to resign from the House this week, saying he wanted to focus on his hotel business.
House Minority spokesman Randy Hildreth said he couldn't go into further detail about the alleged interference.
"That is all we can say about this at this time," Hildreth said.
State Reps. Frank McNulty (R-Highlands Ranch)and David Balmer (R-Centennial) are vying to succeed May as House Minority Leader.
McNulty told Mile High Politics he didn't know any details about what May was referring to in his announcement. Balmer didn't return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.
Douglas County GOP Chair Kelsey Alexander said the House District 44 vacancy committee election, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 6, is now on hold.
"Nobody really knows when he's going to resign," Alexander said.
Holbert a formidable opponent for HD-44 seat
Certainly the former president of the Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association has some very prominent backers – the most prominent being May himself.
Holbert said he’s also picked up endorsements from Harvey, former U.S. Sen. Bill Armstrong (R-Colo.), outgoing U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan), 2008 CD-6 GOP candidate Wil Armstrong, state Sen.-elect Mark Scheffel (R-Parker), and state Reps. Frank McNulty (R-Highlands Ranch) and David Balmer (R-Centennial).
Dustin Zvonek, U.S. Rep-elect Mike Coffman’s (R-Aurora) manager, is also in the running, as is small businesswoman Polly Lawrence.
Kendall Unruh, a 2008 Republican National Convention delegate from Castle Rock, considered running, but she decided against it in order to support Holbert, according to Holbert. Former state Republican Party finance committee chair Mark Baisley and GOP activist John Ransom have also decided against running, they each said.
Holbert, now a consultant who lives near Parker, said though freshman legislator orientation has already concluded, he's familiar with how the state legislature operates from his days spent at the Capitol as CMLA president.
I know the people there, I know the process, and I had experience in moving bills from start to finish and the hearing process. So I've got an idea what I'm getting into," Holbert said. "I'm not sure if the others have that experience."
Holbert said he also may have a leg up on the other candidates because he scouted out potentially running for May's seat earlier this year after hearing rumors that May might go for Harvey's state Senate seat if Harvey was elected to Congress. Harvey lost the CD-6 Republican nomination to Secretary of State Mike Coffman in August, though, so Harvey, May, and Holbert all stayed put.
A vacancy committee of about 120 elected officials, district captains and precinct leaders is tentatively scheduled to meet Jan. 6 to pick May’s successor, Douglas County GOP Chairwoman Kelsey Alexander told the Post.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Zvonek to seek May's HD-44 seat
Dustin Zvonek, U.S. Rep.-elect Mike Coffman’s (R-Aurora) campaign manager, will seek House Minority Leader Mike May’s House District 44 seat, Zvonek said Sunday.
And Zvonek already has some heavy hitters on his side: Coffman, outgoing U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton), and Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry have already endorsed him, he said. Zvonek is a former Tancredo staffer.
Former Colorado Mortgage Leaders Association President Chris Holbert is also in the running for the seat, Zvonek said.
Zvonek said while HD-44 bylaws were unclear, he believed a vacancy committee would be convened after May resigns from the Colorado House. May announced Friday that he’s retiring at the end of the year.
The vacancy committee would likely be composed of about 120 elected officials, district captains and precinct leaders, he said.
Zvonek, a Lone Tree resident, said he was already mulling a shot at House District 44 in 2010, when May would have to step down because of term limits. When he heard May was resigning, though, he said he had to jump in.
“I didn’t want to waste any time when I think I could offer something to this district and this state,” Zvonek said. “If get you somebody (on the vacancy committee) first, they might commit to you.”
Zvonek said he wants to help bring new blood into a state Republican Party reeling from a string of electoral losses over the past few years.
As for his agenda, Zvonek said, “At this point, it’s jobs, jobs, jobs, energy, education, and health care.”
CORRECTION: Holbert is no longer the president of the Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association.
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