World Series tickets, a Stetson hat and a rug from the president of Afghanistan were among the gifts that came with being governor this fall.
Gov. Bill Ritter also got a shawl from a NATO commander and two tickets worth $1,424 to sit with the owner of the Broncos at a December football game.
Tuesday was the deadline for elected officials to report their gifts to the Secretary of State’s Office — paperwork under extra scrutiny this time around because a judge put the state’s new ethics law on hold.
Amendment 41 banned lawmakers from taking anything from lobbyists and prohibited public officials and government workers from receiving gifts worth more than $50.
A judge issued a temporary injunction stopping the law’s enforcement in June after a battle over its clarity.
Critics said it prevented state employees from accepting scholarships, inheritances or even expensive bottles of wine from a neighbor.
Ritter likely would not have been allowed to accept free tickets or gifts from foreign leaders if the ethics law were in effect.
Trying not to offend
In particular, the governor felt it necessary to attend the Rockies games and accept the rug from President Hamid Karzai during his December trip to Afghanistan, spokesman Evan Dreyer said.
“There is absolutely an expectation that the governor of this state would attend a historic event like the Rockies making it to their first World Series,” Dreyer said. “And it would be very difficult to refuse to accept a gift from a foreign head of state, if for no other reason than it would appear rude.”
Ritter’s gifts for the three-month filing period totaled $2,759.
Game seats in their stockings
The governor wasn’t the only elected official to accept sports tickets since Amendment 41 was lifted.
Other recipients included:
• Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien, who took two World Series tickets.
• Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, who accepted Avalanche tickets.
• Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, who also got Rockies tickets.
Jennifer Brown: 303-954-1593 or jenbrown@denverpost.com
