Colorado Ethics Watch: Nonpartisan Watchdog or Progressive Hit Team?
A few days ago, one of my friends posted a question in the #copolitics hashtag on Twitter about an outfit called Colorado Ethics Watch (@COEthicsWatch).
This group holds itself out as nonpartisan, and my friend tweeted the
Executive Director to ask a question about whether the group has ever
filed any complaints against Democratic elected officials, the
Democratic Party or affiliated groups. Various lefties jumped in the
conversation and managed to obscure the fact that the Executive
Director, a gentleman named Luis Toro (@_luistoro) never answered the question.
This piqued my curiosity, and after a
perfunctory review of Colorado Ethics Watch’s website I did a little
research and prepared this meme which I posted on Twitter the next day.
Poking the Bear
I’m not a newbie to Twitter debates and I
was shocked at the number and virulence of angry tweets I received from
various #copolitics lefties. ProgressNow Colorado political director
Alan Franklin (@alanfranklin)
chimed in with an innuendo that perhaps Republicans might simply have
more ethics violations than Democrats. After a lively debate with Mr.
Franklin – who usually ignores me – I was convinced that there was more here than met the eye. I decided to dig deeper.
According to their website, Colorado Ethics Watch
is “…a state-based project of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in
Washington (CREW), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to
promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life.”
CREW
What is Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington? Quite simply, it is a left-wing advocacy group. As a nonprofit 501©(3) they are not required by law to disclose their donors and are prohibited from lobbying or supporting political candidates.
CREW was founded in 2003 by Melanie Sloan,
a Washington, D.C. attorney who worked for prominent Democrats
including Senators Joseph Biden and Schumer and Representative John
Conyers. Ms. Sloan was the Executive Director (at an annual salary of $230,000, putting her in the top 2%
of American earners) of the group until she stepped down recently to
become Of Counsel. The current ED is Noah Bookbinder, a criminal justice
attorney who specializes in public corruption and was an advisor to
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on criminal justice issues.
CREW Research Director Matt Corley has
impeccable progressive credentials as a former editor for the Center for
American Progress and as a writer for ThinkProgress and The Progress
Report. Other listed staff resumes include individuals who spent time
working for various Democratic governors and senate candidates.
According to Wikipedia, key figures associated with CREW include David Brock,
a hard-core leftist who founded Media Matters for America, an
internet-based progressive organization; Anne Weismann, a former Justice
Department lawyer; and Naomi Seligman, a well-known progressive political activist who has led advocacy campaigns against the NRA and is currently the leader of The Gun Truth Project, a progressive anti-Second Amendment “watchdog” organization.
Based on the above and a perusal of their most recent legal filings, it is clear that CREW is run by a group of people intent on promoting the progressive agenda by targeting conservative and Republican politicians, groups and causes for ethics complaints. In fact, according to the website crewexposed.com,
“By every measure CREW has attacked a significantly disproportionate number of Republicans and conservative organizations. CREW’s tactics against the right have also been harsher, with the group waging legal battles against Republicans while issuing press releases against Democrats”, and “CREW is funded by a Who’s Who of left-wing donors. Many of CREW’s biggest funders are left-leaning organizations, including the Open Society Institute, the Tides Foundation, and Democracy Alliance.”
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck.
From any reasonable standpoint, it is undeniable that CREW is anything
but a nonpartisan watchdog group and is in fact a powerful weapon in the
progressive arsenal.
Baby CREW
In 2006, perhaps realizing that Colorado
was becoming THE bellwether state (or perhaps at the instigation of the
“Gang of Four”), CREW “…launched a state-based project called Colorado Ethics Watch (CEW).”
CEW is led by Luis Toro, a former litigation partner at a downtown Denver law firm. His experience includes clerking for Judge Lucero
of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals (nominated by President Bill
Clinton) and interning at the left-leaning National Resources Defense
Council. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.
The Research Director is a gentleman named Doug Staggs, formerly an employee of the Gill Foundation. As any Coloradan should know, the Gill Foundation is the political arm of Tim Gill, one of the Gang of Four, a key player in the Colorado progressive movement and kingpin of Colorado politics.
After reading the bios of the four
individuals listed, I was ready to conclude that CEW was just a Colorado
extension of the progressive CREW. However, in the spirit of fair
inquiry, I reviewed all of the listings of their Legal Filings on their website and prepared a summary of them.
Table 1 below lists
CEWs Legal Filings relating to Open Records matters. In compiling this
table, I clicked on each link, listed the title and date, read the
summary to determine the target of the request or complaint, and used my
judgment to determine the partisan bias, if any, of the complaint.
Of twenty-eight Open Records
releases, five appeared to be neutral (without any obvious partisan
bias) and two related to other issues. The remaining twenty-one were
complaints against Republican officeholders, candidates and conservative issues. Not a single one was against a Democrat or left-leaning cause or organization. Not one.
Table 2 below presents CEWs listing of lawsuits
that they have filed over the past nine years. Several of the items
listed were multiple filings in separate cases; for example, CEW appears
to have waged a long-standing war against the incumbent of the
Colorado Secretary of State office: first against Republican Mike
Coffman and then against Republican Scott Gessler. I counted each listing as a separate instance.
Of the one hundred and one items listed,
one appeared to be a legitimate complaint and twenty-six appeared to be
neutral. The remaining seventy-four were all – again without exception – against Republican
candidates, officeholders and groups. Targets include Rocky Mountain
Gun Owners, Colorado Campaign for Life, Citizens United, the Colorado
Republican Party, City of Colorado Springs, Clear the Bench Colorado,
Senate Majority Fund, LLC and Colorado Leadership Fund, among others.
CEW even went after the Denver District Attorney for not prosecuting a
Republican officeholder they evidently thought should have been persecuted prosecuted.
A review of the listing of “Requests for Investigation” reveals the same – all targets appear to be conservative and Republican individuals and groups.
Given the absence of even ONE
complaint or filing against a Democrat or anyone left of Ronald Reagan, I
think it’s safe to say that Colorado Ethics Watch, like its parent, is
anything BUT nonpartisan.
Following Table 2 below is an open letter to Mr. Toro
asking for the answers to several questions that I have about CEW. If
he ever provides a response, I will publish it in a follow up post.
But Wait, There’s More!
Like an onion, many political issues have layers within layers, and sometimes they make you want to cry. This is no exception.
This whole thing started with a tweet
from another conservative user on Twitter calling out CEW and Luis Toro
for filing a complaint against the American Lands Council (ALC), headed
by Utah Republican
Ken Ivory (R-West Jordan). In the complaint, CEW alleges that ALC
violated Colorado law by lobbying for legislation without first
registering as a lobbyist.
The larger picture, of course,
is that the American Lands Council is involved in the battle over
transferring control of federal lands to the states.
ALC has also been the target of complaints by the so-called Campaign for Accountability (CfA), yet another 501(c)(3) organization devoted to “…expose misconduct and malfeasance in public life”. Launched just last month on May 13, 2015, the Executive Director of this organization is none other than Anne Weismann, who is a key figure in CREW. Other board members have ties to CREW, the Victory Fund, Gill Action Fund and President Obama’s re-election campaign. Obviously, this is another Democratic Party/progressive hit team.
According to a story in The Idaho Reporter, “Instead of serving the public as an authentic nonprofit watchdog outfit, CfA serves as a partisan attack dog,
attached by a leash held by environmental extremists, unions and other
left-wing causes.” Their public relations firm works with other
left-wing groups including unions, environmental extremists 350.org and the well-known Everytown for Gun Safety.
The CfA’s very first lawsuit
was one demanding that the Securities and Exchange Commission issue a
rule requiring corporations to disclose their political donations.
Hypocritically, while demanding transparency and accountability from
everyone else, these hyper-partisan left wing attack dogs keep their own
funding sources a secret, so there is no way to know who funds CREW,
CfA and our own home-grown CEW. According to one website, George Soros provides financing to CREW. I suspect that a look at these organizations’ donor lists would reveal many familiar names, some of whom I have listed in the open letter mentioned earlier.
Follow the Links
I think that any reasonable
person, in looking at this information, would conclude that these
organizations – CREW, CfA and CEW – are all highly partisan teams of
operatives whose sole purpose is to advance the progressive agenda
through the vehicle of the Democratic Party with a strategy of attacking
the opposition – Republicans, conservatives and libertarians – by any
means possible and especially including legal harassment.
The links between CREW, CfA, CEW and
Colorado political player Tim Gill are inferred from public disclosures
on their various websites. The hidden links between these groups and
individuals are undoubtedly more vast and devious possibly including the
rest of the Gang of Four, the President and national Democratic Party,
the various environmental, union and other groups who are all
instrumental in implementing the progressive agenda through any means
possible; open or secret, fair or foul.
The fact that these groups are
working together and coordinating their efforts to fight against Western
states reasserting control over lands held by the federal government is
both highly illuminating and deeply troubling. For every
accusation from a lefty about the Koch brothers and ALEC, we can point
to this very real network that is working to buttress federal control
over Western land.
I have no doubt that Mr. Alan Franklin
knows much more about all this than I do. I also have no doubt that he
will never tell me any of it, and in fact will deny that any such hidden
links or partisan biases exist.
In the meantime, I think that if
Coloradans are looking for an impartial, objective, honest, nonpartisan
“watchdog” overseeing our political life, they need to keep looking. Colorado Ethics Watch is certainly not it.
By Richard D. TurnquistJune 9, 2015
Table 1 – Listing of Colorado Ethics Watch Legal Filings – Open Records
| Title | Target | Partisan Bias | Date |
| CORA Reform Passes First Hurdle | Colorado state government | Neutral | February 14, 2014 |
| State Billed More Than $122,000 for Failed Ethics Defense | Office of the Secretary of State | Against Republican | July 25, 2013 |
| Ethics Watch Joins Coalition… | Colorado state government | Neutral | March 4, 2013 |
| CORA Response Shows Gessler Threatened Suit Against Ethics Commission | Office of the Secretary of State | Against Republican | January 29, 2013 |
| Ethics Watch Requests “Colorado Documents” From Montana Dark Money Investigation | American Tradition Partnership | Against Conservative 501©4, also a climate change angle involved | November 5, 2012 |
| Record Response Reveals Colorado Investigation of GOP Voter Registration Firm | Strategic Allied Consulting/Nathan Sproul | Against Republican | October 4, 2012 |
| Ethics Watch Publishes SOS Response to CORA on Legislative Issues | Office of the Secretary of State | Against Republican | April 25, 2012 |
| Ethics Watch Releases Results of CORA Request On Mesa Clerk Requests | Office of the Secretary of State | Against Republican | June 20, 2011 |
| Ethics Watch Seeks Disclosure of Stapleton, Gessler Employment | Offices of the Secretary of State and Attorney General | Against Republicans | January 27, 2011 |
| Health Care Litigation: What Will It Cost Colorado | Attorney General | Against Republican, in support of ACA | April 13, 2010 |
| Ethics Watch Seeks Records Regarding Possible Government Contribution To Penry | Colorado Senate Minority Office | Fishing expedition against Republican gubernatorial candidate | October 8, 2009 |
| Ethics Watch Calls for Answers and CDPHE Swiftly Complies | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment | Neutral | September 17, 2009 |
| After Ethics Watch CORA Victory, IEC Will Release Complaint Documents | Independent Ethics Commission | Neutral | May 20, 2009 |
| Ethics Watch Obtains Documents on El Paso County Election Readiness | El Paso County Clerk and Recorder | Against Republican | October 16, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Seeks Records On El Paso County Election Readiness | El Paso County Clerk and Recorder | Against Republican | October 7, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Files CORA Suite Against Penry, McNulty and Gardner | State Senator and State Representatives | Against Republicans | September 9, 2008 |
| State Elections Director Resigns Amid Ethics Watch Investigation | State Elections Director Holly Lowder | Reported to Mike Coffman, so against Republicans | September 5, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Moves For Summary Judgment In Senate Majority Fund Case | Senate Majority Fund, LLC | Against Republicans | September 5, 2008 |
| Coffman Attacked Ethics Watch To Distract Attention From Wrongdoing | Office of the Secretary of State | Against Republican | August 21, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Files CORA Regarding Leadville Tunnel Secret Meetings | State Senator Tom Wiens/Board of County Commissioners of Lake County | Against Republicans | February 28, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Investigates Errors In Severance Tax Collection | Colorado Department of Revenue | Regarding Coal Severance Taxes | August 15, 2007 |
| Ethics Watch Requests Criminal Investigation of Coffman | Secretary of State | Against Republican Mike Coffman | June 15, 2007 |
| CCEG Joins Call to Rescind Ault Prison Contract | GEO Group | Against privatized prisons | March 5, 2007 |
| CCEG Files Open Records Requests On Homeland Security Spending | DOLA/DEM/CDPS | Neutral | November 13, 2006 |
| CCEG Files FOIA to Determine Whether Beauprez Used Congressional Office For Campaign | Gubernatorial Candidate Bob Beauprez | Against Republican | October 27, 2006 |
| CCEG Files CORA Request to Determine Legitimacy of Beauprez Investigation | Office of Governor Bill Owens ( R ) | Against Republican | October 19, 2006 |
| Response to CCEG CORA Suggests Lack of Full Disclosure | Office of Governor Bill Owens ( R ) | Against Republican | August 14, 2006 |
| CCEG Sends CORA request to Governor Owens | Office of Governor Bill Owens ( R ) | Against Republican | August 4, 2006 |
Table 2 – Colorado Ethics Watch Legal Filings – Lawsuits
| Title | Target | Partisan Bias | Date |
| Ethics Watch Files Challenge to Rowland Decision; IEC Files Preemptive Suit For Secrecy | IEC/Elbert County Commissioner Robert Rowland | Uncertain, and actually looks like a legitimate complaint | May 27, 2015 |
| Court of Appeals Affirms Ethics Commission Ruling Against Gessler | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | May 7, 2015 |
| RMGO Complies With Court Order In Case Filed By Ethics Watch | Rocky Mountain Gun Owners/Colorado Campaign for Life | Against Second Amendment Advocacy Group/Pro-Life Group | May 4, 2015 |
| Ethics Watch Files Complaint Against Citizens United | Citizens United | Conservative Advocacy Group | April 27, 2015 |
| Ethics Watch Files Brief In Republican Super-PAC Case | Colorado Republican Party | Against Republican | March 9, 2015 |
| Ethics Watch, Colorado Common Cause File Amicus Brief Supporting Disclosure of Ballot Issue Spending | Coalition for Secular Government v Williams | Neutral | March 2, 2015 |
| Administrative Judge Orders CCL, RMGO to Disclose Electioneering Money | Rocky Mountain Gun Owners/Colorado Campaign for Life | Against Second Amendment Advocacy Group/Pro-Life Group | December 29, 2014 |
| Federal judge won’t block hearing against RMGO and CO Campaign for Life | Rocky Mountain Gun Owners/Colorado Campaign for Life | Against Second Amendment Advocacy Group/Pro-Life Group | December 16, 2014 |
| Colorado Supreme Court Lets Stand Ethics Watch Win On Money In Politics Disclosure | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | December 8, 2014 |
| Ethics Watch Signs Amicus Brief On Pre-Emptive CORA Lawsuits | Chafee County Clerk and Recorder | Neutral | December 4, 2014 |
| Suppes Pays Up For Use Of Public Facility As Campaign Office | Orchard City Mayor Don Suppes | Against Republican | November 14, 2014 |
| Ethics Watch Files Amicus Brief In Gessler’s Latest Appeal Of Ethics Fine | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | October 27, 2014 |
| RMGO, Colorado Campaign for Life Sue To Block Electioneering Disclosure | Rocky Mountain Gun Owners/Colorado Campaign for Life | Against Second Amendment Advocacy Group/Pro-Life Group | October 21, 2014 |
| Ethics Watch Appeals Ruling On Party-Controlled Super-PACs | Colorado Republican Party | Against Republican | October 7, 2014 |
| Ethics Watch and Coalition Oppose Citizens United At Tenth Circuit | Citizens United | Conservative Advocacy Group | October 3, 2014 |
| Judge OK’s “independent” expenditure committee for Colorado GOP | Colorado Republican Party | Against Republican | October 1, 2014 |
| Ethics Watch Files Complaing Against Colorado Campaign for Life and Rocky Mountain Gun Owners | Rocky Mountain Gun Owners/Colorado Campaign for Life | Against Second Amendment Advocacy Group/Pro-Life Group | September 9, 2014 |
| Ethics Watch Joins Secretary of State to Defend Lawsuit by Republican Party | Colorado Republican Party | Against Republican | June 17, 2014 |
| Colorado Supreme Court Affirms Colorado Ballot Issue Disclosure Law | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | June 16, 2014 |
| Ethics Watch Files Amicus Brief in Gessler Challenge to IEC Ruling | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | December 17, 2013 |
| Court of Appeals Strikes Down Gessler’s Campaign Finance Rules | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | December 12, 2013 |
| No on Prop AA Campaign Discloses In-Kind Contributions, Complaint To Be Dismissed | No Over Taxation | Neutral | October 16, 2013 |
| Issue Committee Opposing Marijuana Tax Measure Hides Donors, Expenditures | No Over Taxation | Neutral | October 8, 2013 |
| Ethics Watch Tells Appellate Court How Gessler Illegally Weakened Campaign Finance Disclosure | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | September 4, 2013 |
| Gessler Repays State For Florida Trip | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | May 23, 2013 |
| Ethics Watch Joins Coalition To File Supreme Court Brief In Key CORA Case | Open Records Litigation | Neutral | March 4, 2013 |
| Ethics Watch Response to Gessler’s Lawsuit Against Ethics Commission | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | January 31, 2013 |
| In Response to Complaint, Cheyenne Mountain Republican Forum PAC Comes Clean About Its Funding | Cheyenne Mountain Republican Forum Political Committee | Against Republican | October 16, 2012 |
| Ethics Watch Files Complaint Against Cheyenne Mountain Republican Forum | Cheyenne Mountain Republican Forum Political Committee | Against Republican | September 28, 2012 |
| Appeal [sic] Court Affirms Colorado Ballot Issue Disclosure Law | Colorado Secretary of State | Against ruling made by Republican Secretary of State | August 30, 2012 |
| Denver District Court Strikes Down Gessler Rule Changes | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | August 11, 2012 |
| Ethics Watch and Common Cause file complaint against SOS rule rewrite | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | April 6, 2012 |
| Court of Appeals Affirms Ruling Against Colorado Springs | City of Colorado Springs/Douglas Bruce/Reform Team PAC | Against Republican controlled City and Republican groups | May 29, 2012 |
| Court of Appeals Affirms Ethics Watch Win in Clear The Bench Case | Clear The Bench Colorado | Against Conservative Advocacy Group | March 15, 2012 |
| Colorado Supreme Court Affirms “Magic Words” Requirement | Senate Majority Fund/Colorado Leadership Fund | Against Republican/Conservative | February 21, 2012 |
| Ethics Watch Applauds Bipartisan Primary Disclosure Fix | Campaign Finance Reporting | Neutral | January 30, 2012 |
| Ethics Watch Dismisses Suit Over Primary Reports After SOS Withdraws Rule | Campaign Finance Reporting | Neutral | January 3, 2012 |
| Judge Voids Issue Committee Rule | Campaign Finance Limits | Against Republican SOS | November 17, 2011 |
| Ethics Watch Files Opening Brief in Primary Reporting Suit | Campaign Finance Reporting | Against Republican SOS | November 4, 2011 |
| Colorado Supreme Court Hears Ethics Watch v. Senate Majority Fund | Senate Majority Fund/Colorado Leadership Fund | Against Republican/Conservative | October 27, 2011 |
| ALJ Fines Larimer GOP $1500 on Ethics Watch Complaint | Larimer County Republican Party | Against Republican | October 26, 2011 |
| Ethics Watch Files Opposition to Colorado Springs Appeal | City of Colorado Springs | Against Republican controlled City | October 6, 2011 |
| Common Cause and Ethics Watch Challenge Weakening Of Issue Committee Disclosure | Campaign Finance Reporting | Against Republican SOS | September 29, 2011 |
| Ethics Watch Files Amicus Brief in Saguache HAVA Case | Saguache County/Secretary of State | Against Republican SOS | September 21, 2011 |
| Court Allows Issue Committee Rule Challenge to Proceed | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | September 8, 2011 |
| Ethics Watch Files Suit to Defend Biweekly Primary Reporting | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | July 29, 2011 |
| Common Cause and Ethics Watch File Complaint Against Secretary of State Gessler | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | June 10, 2011 |
| Ethics Watch Calls on Colorado Springs to Drop Bruce Appeal | City of Colorado Springs/Douglas Bruce/Reform Team PAC | Against Republican controlled City and Republican groups | May 9, 2011 |
| Ethics Watch: Gessler Amicus for Clear the Bench “Improper” | Clear The Bench Colorado/Secretary of State | Against Republican SOS and conservative advocacy group | May 2, 2011 |
| Ethics Watch to Oppose SOS Intervention In Clear The Bench Appeal | Clear The Bench Colorado/Secretary of State | Against Republican SOS and conservative advocacy group | April 19, 2011 |
| Prop 102 Committee Fined $12,200 In Case Filed By Ethics Watch | Safe Streets Colorado | Neutral | January 5, 2011 |
| Judge Hears Case On Proposition 102 Disclosure | Safe Streets Colorado | Neutral | December 10, 2010 |
| Colorado Supreme Court To Review Ethics Watch Case Against SMC and CMF | Senate Majority Fund/Colorado Leadership Fund | Against Republican/Conservative | November 30, 2010 |
| Election Director: Clear the Bench Delinquent | Clear the Bench Colorado | Against Conservative Advocacy Group | October 14, 2010 |
| Ethics Watch Files Campaign Finance Complaint Against Safe Strees Colorado | Safe Streets Colorado | Neutral | October 5, 2010 |
| Colorado Ethics Watch Wins Case Against Clear The Bench Colorado | Clear the Bench Colorado | Against Conservative Advocacy Group | September 24, 2010 |
| Ethics Watch’s Fight Against Big Money In Judicial Elections Goes To Court | Clear the Bench Colorado | Against Conservative Advocacy Group | September 15, 2010 |
| New Hearing Date Set In Clear The Bench Case | Clear the Bench Colorado | Against Conservative Advocacy Group | August 12, 2010 |
| Ethics Watch Files Supplemental Complaint Against Clear the Bench | Clear the Bench Colorado | Against Conservative Advocacy Group | August 2, 2010 |
| Ethics Watch To Supplement Clear the Bench Complaint | Clear the Bench Colorado | Against Conservative Advocacy Group | July 21, 2010 |
| Fort Collins To Investigate Possible Campaign Finance Violation (Updated) | Unknown group | Neutral | June 21, 2010 |
| Ethics Watch Files Campaign Finance Complaint Against Clear The Bench | Clear the Bench Colorado | Against Conservative Advocacy Group | May 5, 2010 |
| Ethics Watch Seeks Supreme Court Review Of Campaign Finance Decision | Senate Majority Fund/Colorado Leadership Fund | Against Republican/Conservative | April 29, 2010 |
| Ethics Watch to Seek Colorado Supreme Court Review | Senate Majority Fund/Colorado Leadership Fund | Against Republican/Conservative | March 18, 2010 |
| Brief In Ethics Watch Appeal Provide First Look At Effect Of Citizens United | Senate Majority Fund/Colorado Leadership Fund | Against Republican/Conservative | February 11, 2010 |
| In Victory for Ethics Watch, Court Rules IEC Violated Open Meetings Act | Independent Ethics Commission | Neutral | December 30, 2009 |
| Indpendent Ethics Commission Must Pay Colorado Ethics Watch Attorneys Fees | Independent Ethics Commission | Neutral | December 29, 2009 |
| Court Affirms IEC Position That Advisory Opinions Have No Binding Effect | Independent Ethics Commission | Neutral | November 10, 2009 |
| Ethics Watch Completes Briefind In Appeal Of 527 Political Ad Case | Senate Majority Fund/Colorado Leadership Fund | Against Republican/Conservative | September 10, 2009 |
| E W Files Complaint Against Proponent Of Aurora Impound Initiative | Aurora Impound Initiative | Neutral | August 27, 2009 |
| Ethics Watch Files Complaint Against Lakewood Safe Streets Committee | Lakewood Safe Streets Committee | Neutral | August 26, 2009 |
| Ethics Watch Files Opening Brief In Appeal Of Campaign Finance Decision | Senate Majority Fund/Colorado Leadership Fund | Against Republican/Conservative | June 2, 2009 |
| Victory for Ethics Watch in Open Records Suit Against IEC | Independent Ethics Commission | Neutral | May 14, 2009 |
| Trial In Independent Ethics Commission Open Records Lawsuit | Independent Ethics Commission | Neutral | May 11, 2009 |
| Colorado League of Taxpayers Filed $7150 For Campaign Finance Violation | Colorado League of Taxpayers | Against Republican Advocacy Group | April 29, 2009 |
| Ethics Watch, Coffman File Closing Briefs with IEC | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | March 17, 2009 |
| Ethics Watch Files Complaint Against Colorado League of Taxpayers | Colorado League of Taxpayers | Against Republican Advocacy Group | February 20, 2009 |
| Ethics Watch Appeals Campaign Finance Administrative Decision | Senate Majority Fund/Colorado Leadership Fund | Against Republican/Conservative | December 29, 2008 |
| Court of Appeals Hears Arguments In Broomfield Case | City and County of Broomfield | Neutral | December 9, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Suit Results In A Win For Legislative Transparency | State Senator, two state representatives | All Republican officeholders | November 7, 2008 |
| IEC Sets Hearing In Coffman Ethics Probe | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican | October 13, 2008 |
| Senate Majority Fund Fined In Case Filed By Ethics Watch | Senate Majority Fund LLC | Republican Advocacy Group | October 9, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Responds to IEC’s Court Application for Secrecy | Independent Ethics Commission | Neutral | October 8, 2008 |
| Colorado Ethics Watch Sues Senate Majority Fund LLC and Colorado Leadership Fund LLC | Senate Majority Fund/Colorado Leadership Fund | Against Republican/Conservative | September 10, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Files CORA Suite Against Penry, McNulty and Gardner | State Senator, two state representatives | All Republican officeholders | September 9, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Questions Black Hawk Spending Ordinance | City of Black Hawk | Neutral | July 16, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Files Arguments In Morrissey Case | Denver DA Mitch Morissey | Complaint brought against DA for choosing not to prosecute a Republican officeholder | July 11, 2008 |
| Denver District Court Orders Further Briefing In Morrissey Case | Denver DA Mitch Morissey | Complaint brought against DA for choosing not to prosecute a Republican officeholder | June 27, 2008 |
| Statement on DA Morrissey’s Response to Ethics Watch’s Petition | Denver DA Mitch Morissey | Complaint brought against DA for choosing not to prosecute a Republican officeholder | June 24, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Calls for Investigation of Black Hawk Mayor David Spellman | Black Hawk Mayor | Neutral | June 12, 2008 |
| Denver District Court Orders DA Morrissey to Respond to Petition | Denver DA Mitch Morissey | Complaint brought against DA for choosing not to prosecute a Republican officeholder | June 10, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Files Brief In Broomfield Appeal | City and County of Broomfield | Neutral | June 2, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Files Petition to Bring Denver District Attorney to Court | Denver DA Mitch Morissey | Complaint brought against DA for choosing not to prosecute a Republican officeholder | June 2, 2008 |
| Appeals Court Hands Ethics Watch Major Victory | Committee for the American Dream | Against Conservative Advocacy Group | May 29, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Finds That SOS Mike Coffman is Using Taxpayer Time to Fundraise | Colorado Secretary of State | Against Republican Officeholder | April 3, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Challenges Broomfield Campaign Finance Decision | City and County of Broomfield | Neutral | February 6, 2008 |
| Ethics Watch Files Campaign Finance Complaint Against Lakewood Council | City Council President | Neutral | October 30, 2007 |
| Ethics Watch Files Campaign Finance Complaint Against Broomfield Officials | City staff and elected officials | Neutral | October 23, 2007 |
| Ethics Watch Wins Case Against Committee for the American Dream | Committee for the American Dream | Against Conservative Advocacy Group | April 24, 2007 |
| CCEG Sues Political Groups for Violating Campaign Finance Laws | Northern Colorado Victory Fund/Committee for the American Dream | Against Republican Advocacy Group | February 22, 2007 |
| CCEG Files Complaint Against Colorado Leadership Fund | Colorado Leadership Fund | Against Conservative Advocacy Group | September 27, 2006 |
Open Letter to Mr. Luis Toro
Executive Director, Colorado Ethics WatchDear Mr. Toro:
In recent days I have become interested
in learning more about Colorado Ethics Watch (CEW). While I certainly
support and appreciate ethics, lawfulness, transparency and open
government, I don’t believe that your group actually promotes these
values in an evenhanded, nonpartisan manner. My research and review of
CEW’s website indicates that Colorado Ethics Watch appears to be an
organization bent on harassing, prosecuting and persecuting conservative
and Republican individuals and groups.
Accordingly, I have several questions I
would like to ask of you. Your answers will be published on my blog and
your refusal or other failure to answer them will be published as well.
My questions are as follows:
- Aside from the listings on your website, do you have a comprehensive listing of open records requests, lawsuits and other legal filings by case or document number, including the target of the complaint, the party or group the target is associated with or represents, and the outcome of the complaint or filing?
- In cases where CEW’s complaint is dismissed or otherwise found invalid, who bears the cost of the target’s legal costs for defending against the complaint. What is the financial impact to the victims of these unfounded complaints?
- How many complaints, lawsuits and legal filings has CEW initiated against Republican candidates, officeholders and associated groups over the last nine years?
- How many complaints, lawsuits and legal filings has CEW initiated against Democratic candidates, officeholders and associated groups over the last nine years?
- To what extent and of what nature does your organization take direction from the national Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and from the following individuals:
- David Brock
- Melanie Sloan
- Naomi Seligman
- Anne Weisman
- Noah Bookbinder
- Please disclose the names and amounts of the donors – individuals and organizations – that account for the top 75% of your annual revenues for the last five years.
- Please disclose the amounts, if any, received from the following individuals and organizations at any time over the life of CEW:
- Tim Gill, or any group or organization funded by or under the control of Mr. Gill
- Pat Stryker, or any group or organization funded by or under the control of Ms. Stryker
- Jared Polis, or any group or organization funded by or under the control of Mr. Polis
- Rutt Bridges, or any group or organization funded by or under the control of Mr. Bridges
- George Soros, or any group or organization funded by or under the control of Mr. Soros
- Tom Steyer, or any group or organization funded by or under the control of Mr. Steyer
- Bill and Melinda Gates, or any group or organization funded by or under the control of either one
- Michael Bloomberg, or any group or organization funded by or under the control of Mr. Bloomberg
- The organization known as ActBlue
- Any public employees union
- Any other private union including SEIU, Teamsters, AFL-CIO, etc.
- CEW’s links with the Campaign for Accountability, whether they be persons, funding sources, service providers, or other.
Best Regards,
Richard D. Turnquist
