Published 2:07 p.m. | Updated 2:59 p.m.
The Colorado Independent Ethics Commission will not dismiss an ethics complaint filed earlier this month against Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.
The complaint alleges Hickenlooper accepted travel and lodging in violation of state ethics laws. The newly-formed Public Trust Institute filed the complaint. The is led by former Republican Speaker of the Statehouse Frank McNulty, a one-time political rival of the governor.
Hickenlooper refused to discuss specifics of the complaint.
“I think it’s a political stunt. I think in the normal course as we go through the complaint it will be proven that we’ve done everything we’re supposed to have done and that the allegations are not correct," the governor said.
The vote was unanimous, with one member of the commission absent. The governor has 30 days to respond before the commission decides on the scope of any investigation, Ethics Commission executive director Dino Ioannides said.
The complaint alleges:
Governor Hickenlooper has repeatedly traveled on private airplanes owned by corporations and accepted travel expenses paid for by corporations, each instance represents a direct violation of the Colorado Constitution, Colorado statutes, and this Commission’s clear precedent restricting travel expenses for covered state officials.
Read the full complaint here.
