Golden – Conflicts between two Jefferson County officials erupted into a public shouting match Tuesday.
Commissioner Jim Congrove and County Attorney Frank Hutfless engaged in the heated exchange while standing on the dais just before convening the county board’s weekly hearings.
Hutfless said he walked in and Congrove told him to leave. Congrove said he asked Hutfless, who resigned last week effective Feb. 9, why he was at the meeting.
“I said he didn’t represent me,” said Congrove, referring to a Hutfless comment on Friday that he looked forward to his private industry job where he could choose who he represented and that he chose not to represent Congrove.
Hutfless responded that he represents the board. Then, Hutfless acknowledged, “it got kind of heated.”
Congrove said Hutfless suggested they “take it outside – he wanted to have a fistfight.”
Hutfless said he made the suggestion “because we were yelling and screaming and let’s go outside to yell and scream.”
Kathy Hartman, who was sworn in as commissioner on Jan. 9 and sits between the two, told the men to calm down.
The two have clashed over a pending audit of the county attorney’s office initiated by Congrove. Also, Congrove released a Nov. 14 memo released by Congrove in which Hutfless outlined actions he took with Duncan Bradley, who Hutfless had hired at Congrove’s urging as an assistant county attorney.
Congrove said the memo, and a meeting in which Huftless read it, “were threatening.” Hutfless said the memo was privileged attorney-client communication that should not have been released by Congrove.
“I’m tired of him lying about stuff,” Hutfless said. “I’m tired of his investigations that are destructive to morale.”
If there is one thing the two can agree on, it’s regret that the friction exploded.
“I’m really disappointed that it escalated the way it did,” Hutfless said. “It’s just not good to have arguments.”
Congrove said, “Jefferson County doesn’t need this garbage.”
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
