Were you lying on January 23rd or on January 14th, Barbara Kelley?  Kelley serves as the head of Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). On January 14th, two days after liberal Sen. Mark Udall and his staff drew fire for bullying Colorado Division of Insurance employees because the employees reported that 250,000 Coloradans had lost their health insurance due to Obamacare, Kelley assured Rep. Amy Stephens that Udall had been exonerated by a panel convened just for this purpose, as reported by The Denver Post:

“A neutral and objective panel from the executive director’s office interviewed a number of Division of Insurance staff, collected and reviewed e-mails and other correspondence between the (division) and Sen. Udall’s staff,” wrote Department of Regulatory Agencies director Barbara Kelley in a letter to state Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument.”

Today, The Colorado Observer reported that, in a response to a Colorado Open Records Request, Kelley is now backtracking on her claims that “a neutral and objective panel” drove the investigation into the behavior of Udall and his staff.  Here’s what she said:

“For clarification purposes, the Department first conducted a fact finding review, focused exclusively on DORA staff and processes, actions and perceptions during and after e-mail exchanges in early to mid-November, with Senator Udall’s staff.  Having found no evidence of any intimidation or coercion as a result of this fact finding review, there was no need to proceed with any further investigation.”

So, which is it?  Did Kelley conduct this “fact finding review” herself?  Is that why she’s hiding?  Either there was a panel convened and she isn’t willing to provide the documentation, which is a violation of CORA.  Or, there was no panel convened and she lied to Rep. Stephens (and all of  Colorado). Which is it?

This reminds us of another b.s. cover up from President Bill Clinton.  He said in front of a grand jury, “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.”  Does Kelley not know the meaning of panel?  Just in case, here’s the definition from Merriam-Webster’s dictionary:

“(1)a group of persons selected for some service (as investigation or arbitration) <a panel of experts> (2) :  a group of persons who discuss before an audience a topic of public interest”

You’re welcome, Ms. Kelley.