John Hickenlooper Slapped with Highest Colorado Ethics Violation Penalty

The Colorado Independent Ethics Commission slapped former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on Friday with the highest ethics penalty for his use of a corporate jet and Maserati limo.

The ethics commission voted to fine Hickenlooper, a 2020 Senate Democrat candidate, $2,750 for ethics violations. The Colorado board fined the former governor for allowing corporations to cover the cost of a private jet trip to Connecticut, a Maserati limousine ride, as well as elegant dinners in 2018.

The commission ruled unanimously last week that Hickenlooper violated Colorado’s gift ban in June 2018 when he attended the secretive Bilderberg meetings in Italy. Hickenlooper paid a fee of $1,500, believing that covered the cost of the hotel, limousine, meals, and other expenses. The event’s sponsor, Fiat-Chrysler, said the $1,500 fee did not cover the limousine rides.

The IEC ruled last week 4-1 that the former governor violated Amendment 41 by accepting a flight and expensive dinners from MDC Holdings in March 2018.

Melissa Miller, Hickenlooper’s campaign spokesperson, said that the Colorado Democrat accepted the penalty in a statement on Friday.

“Governor Hickenlooper accepts the Commission’s findings and takes responsibility,” she said.

Hickenlooper’s controversy follows as some GOP figures accused Hickenlooper of lying under oath during the commission’s hearing last week.

Colorado GOP spokesman Joe Jackson said:

John Hickenlooper’s sworn testimony that his meeting with Vernon Jordan was not political is directly contradicted by his own public statements. While Hickenlooper has already been cited for multiple ethics violations, Coloradans deserve to know if he also committed perjury by lying to the IEC.

National Republican Senatorial spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez said in a statement on Friday that Coloradans deserve a better representative than someone who violated the state’s ethics rules:

The Ethics Commission’s decision to order John Hickenlooper pay the highest penalty in Commission history is an important step toward accountability. Hickenlooper violated the Colorado constitution, disrespected the rule of law, and forced the Commission to subpoena him and find him in contempt before answering their questions.

“Coloradans deserve better, and they deserve to be refunded for the hours billed as a result of Hickenlooper’s erratic behavior these past few weeks,” the NRSC spokesperson added.