An ethics panel today essentially decided Sen. Abel Tapia broke no rules when he both funded and earned income from the State Fair, but said he should disclose his financial interest in the enterprise on future votes.
The panel’s consensus, which could be formalized as early as Monday, largely echoes that of legislative lawyers who on April 7 also told Tapia he should consider not contracting with the fair if he wants to vote on the enterprise.
A formal decision from the four-lawmaker advisory board will bring to an end a week-long discussion about whether the Pueblo Democrat erred in directing $3.2 million a year to the indebted state fair while his engineering firm benefited from $440,000 in fair contracts.
Tapia requested the peer evaluation following questions from reporters about his relationship with the fair. Both he and fair officials say Tapia’s lawmaker status played no role in the nine contracts and contract amendments received by his firm, Abel Engineering Professionals.
He began receiving fair contracts ranging from $6,000 to $124,800 in 2001, three years after he took office. State agencies, including the fair, award engineering contracts through either an interview-based processes or a no-bid process, in the case of smaller or emergency projects.
