After hours of closed-door deliberations, ethics commissioners stopped short Monday of ruling on a complaint filed against Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., from when he was secretary of state.
But even if they had decided whether the complaint was valid, it’s unclear what penalty could be imposed, according to commission director Jane Feldman. “Most commissions have penalties set out in their statutes; the (Independent Ethics Commission) does not,” she said.
The complaint alleges that Coffman, as secretary of state, allowed a staffer to run a partisan side business and that he recertified electronic voting machines owned by a client of the consulting firm that ran his congressional campaign.
Coffman has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
The panel meets again April 21.
Jessica Fender, The Denver Post
