When The Colorado Observer released Department of Regulatory Agencies’ (DORA) response to its Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request asking for additional details on this so-called “panel” that cleared liberal U.S. Senator Udall from charges of bullying Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) employees, it was clear through the email exchanges that there was coordination at the highest levels of the state government in order to deceive Coloradans about the true number of health insurance cancellations due to Obamacare.

After DOI employee Jo Donlin sent the famous “I received a very hostile phone call from Sen. Udall’s deputy chief of staff” email, Alan Salazar, liberal Governor John Hickenlooper’s Chief Strategy Officer, replied “my former boss (Mr. Udall) – I was his COS and glad to weigh in if useful.”  Colorado Insurance Commissioner Marguerite Salazar then replied, “Everything is fine.  I spoke with the COS.  We all want the same thing.”  (See picture of email chain, left.)

To that, we have to ask, what was it that you all want?  Here are a few ideas that we had:

• They want this scandal to go away
• They want to revise downward the number of health insurance policies canceled due to Obamacare
• They want to protect Sen. Udall from the clear looming backlash his signature piece of legislation will unleash

Oh, but the chumminess does not stop there. That whole exchange happened on the afternoon of November 15th.  But, earlier in the day, Udall’s chief of staff Joe Britton wrote to Donlin (before everything went to hell):

“We’ll be putting out a press release this morning, but would again prefer that it be in coordination with you.  Let us know what you have identified [in terms of cancellations] here and prefer.”

So, Team Udall and DORA/DOI are coordinating press releases and data?  Well, it may not be wrong.  But, it certainly ain’t above board.  We’d prefer that our state agencies to remain independent from crooked politicians, thankyouverymuch.