A nonprofit run by a leading Democratic lawmaker received $25,000 from a state grant program he helped to create.
Rep. Tom Plant of Nederland, now former chairman of the appropriations and joint budget committees, denied Tuesday any conflict and said an independent state office set the criteria for receiving the money.
But a spokeswoman for the state Republican Party called on Democrats to launch an ethics investigation into Plant’s behavior.
Last year, Plant, then chairman of the appropriations committee, amended Senate Bill 66 to allow the Governor’s Office of Energy and Management and Conservation to offer $75,000 in grants to “advance energy-efficiency design and construction.”
Plant’s nonprofit, Center for Resource Conservation, then applied for a $75,000 grant to educate “building professionals and consumers … to create high-performance structures.” The group received $25,000.
Plant, who as executive director of the group draws an annual salary of $38,500, said his amendment set a policy objective, but the governor’s office set the grant criteria.
“Certainly when I did it, it was not intended to be any kind of conflict,” he said. “I can’t appropriate money to my organization, and I certainly wouldn’t. What I can do is advance good energy policy for the state.”
But Rachael Sunbarger, a Republican Party spokeswoman, called Plant’s behavior “shocking” and said it warrants an ethics complaint.
“Unfortunately, this type of blatant disregard for ethics has left a stain on this legislative session for the Democrats,” she said. “However, this isn’t about politics; that kind of abuse of power is unacceptable for anyone on either side of the aisle.”
Plant, who cannot run again because of term limits, formally resigned as chairman of the joint budget and appropriations committees Tuesday to allow Democratic Rep. Bernie Buescher to take the chair.
Both Plant and Democratic House Speaker Andrew Romanoff said the move has nothing to do with the revelations.
Ethics complaints have dogged both Republicans and Democrats this session.
Earlier this year, Democratic Sen. Deanna Hanna resigned her seat after an investigation was launched into her campaign fundraising, and Republican Rep. Joe Stengel stepped down as House minority leader the same day an investigation was started into questions surrounding his off-session pay.
Staff writer Chris Frates can be reached at 303-820-1633 or cfrates@denverpost.com.
