Golden – A judge on Thursday unsealed documents approving a special prosecutor in a state investigation of whether Jefferson County officials misused taxpayer money to hire a private investigator.
Since mid-March, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation has been looking into allegations that a business operated by a friend of Commissioner Jim Congrove’s was inappropriately paid $7,500 to do surveillance of a county critic and others.
The watchdog group Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government asked Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey to probe what it called a potential embezzlement of public funds.
Storey asked the CBI to step in because he wanted to avoid a potential conflict of interest since his office’s budget is set by the commissioners.
CBI, which has talked with county workers, including commissioners, and seized records, is continuing its probe. While there is no timetable, the agency has been asked to expedite work.
On Thursday, Storey asked the district court to unseal the special-prosecutor request “after determining there was nothing in the documents that would affect the investigation,” said DA spokeswoman Pam Russell.
The three-and-a-half pages are Storey’s request and the court’s approval. Russell said the documents were sealed when the judge asked a DA administrator whether he wanted them sealed and the administrator off-handedly said yes.
