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Secretary of State’s Office to Investigate Alleged Violations of Lobbyist Laws
Denver, July 3, 2007 – Secretary of State Mike Coffman today announced that his office will proceed with an investigation of a complaint filed by Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government (CCEG) against Colorado Cab Company, LLC (Colorado Cab).
CCEG’s complaint requested an investigation by the Secretary of State, alleging that Colorado Cab “violated state law by offering monetary consideration to [cab] drivers, who are not registered lobbyists, for lobbying state legislators to oppose a pending bill.”
After consideration of CCEG’s complaint, the response to the complaint submitted by Colorado Cab, the subsequent reply from CCEG, and a review of the applicable statutory and case law, the Secretary of State’s office has determined it is necessary to investigate whether there are sufficient facts to support two possible violations:
- That Colorado Cab violated § 24-6-307, C.R.S., concerning the employment of unregistered persons to engage in lobbying.
- That Colorado Cab drivers violated § 24-6-302 and § 24-6-303 by failing to register and report as professional lobbyists.
State law requires individuals who lobby state government to register with the Secretary of State’s office. State law also says it is “unlawful for any person to employ for pay or any consideration, or pay or agree to pay any consideration to, an individual to engage in lobbying who is not registered…”
In its response, Colorado Cab stated that it “has never paid money to, or given consideration to, a cab driver in exchange for lobbying.”
“It is essential to our system of government that an individual has the right to lobby his state representative,” Coffman said. “Also as critical, however, are the laws we have in place to regulate lobbyist activity. My office is committed to making sure that lobbying is conducted in accordance with our laws; this investigation will seek to ensure that is the case.”
For more information, and to read the letter from the Secretary of State’s office to CCEG and Colorado Cab, visit the Secretary of State website: http://www.elections.colorado.gov/DDefault.aspx?tid=86
