After Senate President John Morse conceded defeat in the historic recall last night, we reached out to an old nemesis of his: Stephanie Cegielski.
In 2011, Cegielski filed an ethics complaint against Morse for abusing tax-free per diem payments — taking per diem for 331 of 365 days in 2009 alone. Morse’s boss, then-Senate President Brandon Shaffer, convened an ethics panel to investigate the claims.
Morse was livid. Furious. Seething with rage that anyone dare question him.
When asked about the complaint, Morse made a veiled threat against Cegielski, telling the Colorado Springs Gazette: “If I were a private citizen, I would own these peoples’ homes.”
Now that Morse is a private citizen again, here is what Stephanie Cegielski has to say:
I am truly elated this morning. After the last legislative session I was embarrassed to say I was from Colorado, but after last night’s vote I am proud of the voters of Colorado and once again proud to have been born and raised there.
Sen. Morse has acted above his authority during his tenure. First his Amendment 41 violations with his Denver apartment, then stealing tax dollars through false per diem claims and finally by pushing through gun legislation that went entirely too far. The voters did what the legislature couldn’t and removed him from office. His time at bat is done, he is out on his third strike.
I sat and watched New York City election results last night and realized that Colorado is a truly special place. The citizens of the state love the state and truly value their freedoms. They will not allow outside money to influence them and they will not tolerate insolent leadership.
Last night’s results weren’t sending a message to Sen. Morse but also to the Gang of Four – take your money and your games and go play elsewhere, we are taking back our state.
I wish Sen. Morse all the luck in the world going forward. I have always been confident in my accusations against him and I am thrilled that he can no longer make threats against and hurl insults at others.
I covered the same hearings and heard the same 5-0 vote to dismiss.
Steve Baker I am not employed by or associated with the Department of Revenue.
John Cevette What do you do at the Colorado Department of Revenue than?
Clarification: I do not work at the Colorado Department of Revenue.
Stephanie Jones Cegielski You made serious allegations in your complaint against Senator Morse, which you fully aired in the press. When the ethics committee asked you to back up your claims, you could not. When the Statesman reported your "hit and run" tactics, you attacked the reporter.
What specifically did Peak leave out?
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The legislative committee asked for that information based on the wording of the complaint and the legal guidelines they were obligated to follow. I don't expect you to understand since you barely looked at the story.
If you want the rest of the story don't cite the Statesman where a former reporter viciously and wrongly went after me.
While it seems unlikely that Morse was doing legislative business enough on 331 days to warrant per diem payment Peak frequently leaves stuff out – its not journalism, it's cowardice. Anonymous slander and libel is shameful.
Peak forgot to add this part: "Last week, the ethics ommittee asked Cegielski for hard proof that Morse wasn’t doing legislative work on the days for which he claimed per diem. She didn’t have any."
As Paul Harvey would say, here's the rest of the story:
http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/992731-ethics-committee-unanimously-dismisses-complaint-against-state-senate-leader
I have heard barely a whisper about the per diem abuses. Morse is a criminal schmuck. Good riddance. If he were a Republican, this would have been the scandal of the century and he would have been hounded into resigning by the liberal rags in Denver, but as he is a most beloved democrat, this hardly made a ripple. The Denver comPost and the liberal media complex in this state is truly despicable.
The per diem abuses should have been enough to fire him…..
I'm 71 years old and not only am I a native of Colorado, but my family lines are Pioneer Colorado. The downfall of our state the last several years has been heartbreaking. But I now have hope that Colorado can come back to be the strong proud state. Keep up the good work… we still have a long way to go for both our state and our nation. My grandchildren and great grandchildren need a place of integrity and honest to live. Thanks to those who helped from the beginning to the end and that includes the voters in this recall election. God Bless you, Colorado and the United States of America!
You go, Stephanie! Colorado is NOT for sale!
We stand with you Stephanie! We are taking our state back… You can't buy it… and you can't illegally legislate it… The creep John Morse needs to go threaten elsewhere! He is outta here!