The 10 public trustees appointed by Gov. John Hickenlooper were given a gentle reminder Monday about the state’s code of ethics in light of a Denver Post story detailing their relationship with a prominent foreclosure attorney.
In addition, the trustees were reminded of Amendment 41, a citizen- adopted initiative that limited to $50 the value of any gift a public official can accept, Hickenlooper press secretary Eric Brown said.
“The story raised interesting questions about the relationship between the Public Trustees’ Association of Colorado and those who donate to the group,” Brown said in a statement. “Our Office of Boards and Commissions, which works with the 10 public trustees appointed by the governor, talked to those trustees this morning to ask about issues raised in the story. The questions centered on how much trustees pay to the Public Trustees’ Association of Colorado, what that money is used for and relevant history for the computer systems they each inherited.”
The Post detailed how foreclosure attorney Lawrence Castle has forged a close relationship with the state’s trustees — there is one for each county, though the governor appoints only 10 — that includes thousands of dollars in donations to the trustee association.
A software company in which Castle holds an interest has received lucrative no-bid contracts in several counties to run their foreclosure process.
Brown said the Governor’s Legal Office has planned a presentation about ethics and Amendment 41 at an upcoming trustees meeting.
“The presentation will help ensure these public trustees are aware of and know they must comply with state law and the state ethics code,” his statement read.
David Migoya: 303-954-1506 or dmigoya@denverpost.com
