Former state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, a Longmont Democrat, has agreed to pay practically $3,000 to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Workplace to settle allegations that she violated marketing campaign finance legal guidelines.
The allegations stemmed from reporting by The Colorado Solar.
Jaquez Lewis, who resigned from the legislature in February, admitted to failing to report marketing campaign spending on a number of events. She additionally admitted to utilizing marketing campaign funds to rent a staffer to marketing campaign on behalf of one other candidate, which is prohibited.
She can pay $2,749 to resolve the case.
Deputy Secretary of State Andrew Kline signed off on the settlement Friday.
Jaquez Lewis additionally faces a separate felony prison cost after allegedly fabricating letters she submitted to the Colorado Senate Ethics Committee.
A marketing campaign finance grievance towards Jaquez Lewis was filed in December by conservative activist and commentator Cory Gaines primarily based on reporting by The Solar about how Jaquez Lewis had handled her Capitol aides.
The Solar reported in early December that two of Jaquez Lewis’ most up-to-date Capitol staffers filed a office misconduct grievance in November claiming she used one in all them to do chores like yard work and bartending at a celebration at her dwelling, and paid the staffer with a examine from her marketing campaign’s checking account.
Jaquez Lewis additionally allegedly used marketing campaign cash to pay the identical aide for knocking on doorways on behalf of an Adams County commissioner candidate who was operating within the Democratic main towards the spouse of one in all her intraparty legislative rivals.
The funds, documented within the office misconduct grievance with copies of checks written by Jaquez Lewis from her “Sonya For Colorado” marketing campaign checking account, weren’t reported on the time on TRACER, the state’s marketing campaign finance web site. Colorado regulation requires candidate committees to report and itemize expenditures of $20 or extra, together with the title and handle of the payee and the aim of the expense.
Candidates are additionally barred from utilizing their marketing campaign accounts to donate to different campaigns, both straight or by way of in-kind contributions.
After being contacted by The Solar, Jaquez Lewis amended her marketing campaign finance experiences to reveal the funds.
The Colorado Secretary of State’s discovered that whereas Jaquez Lewis’ funds to the aide who did yard work and bartending at her dwelling have been authorized, as a result of they have been a part of a fundraiser she was internet hosting, she didn’t correctly report the spending. Nevertheless, it discovered that her funds to the aide to marketing campaign on behalf of the Adams County commissioner candidate have been unlawful and unreported.
The workplace additionally discovered different situations of Jaquez Lewis failing to report marketing campaign spending, together with to complement one in all her Capitol aides’ wages.
Jaquez Lewis resigned from the legislature in February amid allegations of mistreatment of her Capitol aides. She was being investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee.
In July, the Denver District Legal professional’s Workplace charged the previous senator with trying to affect a public servant, a felony offense, primarily based on allegations that letters of help she despatched to the Senate Ethics Committee purporting to be from former staffers had been fabricated.
Trying to affect a public servant is a Class 4 felony, punishable by as much as six years in jail and a $500,000 wonderful.
Jaquez Lewis has pleaded not responsible. A disposition listening to within the prison case is scheduled for Nov. 13.
Sort of Story: Information
Based mostly on details, both noticed and verified straight by the reporter, or reported and verified from educated sources.
