The Colorado attorney general’s office is no longer representing Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Department of Regulatory Agencies, in a whistle-blower lawsuit filed against her.
The suit was filed by Erin Toll, who is on paid administrative leave from her role as director of the Division of Real Estate.
The attorney general’s office usually represents state employees. But it already represented Toll in her capacity as director of the Division of Real Estate, and in an effort to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, it has hired outside counsel to represent Kelley, Toll’s boss.
“We believe that the circumstances of the case don’t require the attorney general’s office to withdraw itself for conflict reason, but for an abundance of caution, we decided to hire outside counsel,” said Mike Saccone, spokesman for the attorney general’s office.
Colorado’s risk-management program negotiated a contract last year with Denver law firm Wells Anderson & Race LLC to represent the state at a rate of $200 an hour, said Julie Postlethwait, spokeswoman for the Department of Personnel and Administration. Margaret Jackson, The Denver Post
