An ethics panel looking into accusations that state Rep. David Balmer encouraged illegal campaigning during Republican House caucus elections decided this morning that there was no cause to ask for a formal hearing.
The five-member, bipartisan panel last week delayed a decision until Balmer turned over phone records and other documents.
The ethics complaint, filed by House Minority Leader Mike May, asked the panel to determine whether Balmer had a hand in a pay-for-vote scheme for which lobbyist Erik Groves is now under investigation.
A freshman Republican charged that Groves called her and promised campaign contributions should she cast her vote for Balmer in the minority leadership elections.
Read more on this story and track Colorado politics at .
