For $525 an hour, John Hickenlooper’s taxpayer-paid lawyer is doing a lousy job, failing yet again to get charges of unethical behavior against the former governor dropped during a hearing Tuesday.
The Colorado Independent Ethics Commission unanimously refused to dismiss the charges against Hickenlooper for accepting private jet trips and limo rides from wealthy donors and “friends.”
The commission will hear all evidence against Hickenlooper on March 24 and voted Tuesday on witnesses who will be called to testify.
“Hickenlooper continues to rely on tax dollars from a post-9/11 recovery fund to pay his defense lawyer and long-time donor to try and get him out of this ethics investigation,” NRSC spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez said in a statement.
“Joyride John spent years shrugging off ethics rules and the Colorado State constitution so he could jet around on private planes with his friends and donors. It’s shameful Hickenlooper continues to dismiss the commission’s efforts to get to the bottom of this.”
The commission voted to subpoena state officials to testify about Hickenlooper’s travel that was paid for by Elon Musk’s brother. Musk is the founder of Tesla.
Those officials are the state’s energy office director, Will Toor, and an official with the state’s public health and environment department, John Putnam.
State Controller Bob Jaros will also be served a subpoena.