DENVER—The Colorado attorney general has asked a judge to decide whether anti-tax activist Douglas Bruce is in contempt of court for not testifying on three ballot measures state officials want to know more about.
The motion filed Friday by Attorney General John Suthers follows a Denver court’s decision Thursday that Bruce has been served with a subpoena in the case even though state officials failed to give him the notice. State officials say they tried 30 times to serve him.
If Bruce is found in contempt of court, Suthers wants Bruce fined for every day he didn’t respond to the subpoena. That would be from March 19 to May 24.
Suthers didn’t specify the size of the fine. He asked that a warrant for Bruce’s arrest be issued if he doesn’t show up if the court grants his motion for a hearing.
Bruce has said he was out of state on vacation when the state tried to subpoena him. He wrote in an e-mail to Suthers Friday that he will appear at a hearing even though he called the attorney general’s actions “unethical, illegal and unconstitutional” and questioned the court’s impartiality.
Bruce also said there is no need “for a ‘perp walk’ parading me in handcuffs” so the media can get pictures.
State officials wanted Bruce to testify in an administrative case looking into who’s financing three measures on the November state ballot. The initiatives would limit the ability of local and state governments to borrow and spend money.
Bruce wrote the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, a 1992 constitutional amendment limiting government spending and taxing and has been involved with other tax-cutting campaigns. But he has said he’s not involved with the anti-tax measures on the November ballot.
A Colorado administrative court has ruled otherwise. The court ruled last week that Bruce helped get the proposals on the ballot and that three other people involved should have disclosed their contributions. Those three people were fined $2,000 each for not reporting their contributions.
Bruce wasn’t fined.
Mike Saccone, Suthers’ spokesman, said the attorney general’s office was glad to hear that Bruce “is eager and willing to attend a hearing.”
