An audio recording released Thursday indicates that two county commissioners who engaged in a closed-door session to discuss candidates for county attorney may have violated state law by privately agreeing to hire fellow Commissioner Ben Pearlman.
County officials took the unusual step of providing the recording of the Dec. 21 executive session to the Camera in response to criticism that the commissioners may have violated state open meetings laws that forbid elected officials from having private meetings to discuss one of their own. The recording indicates that commissioners Will Toor and Cindy Domenico clearly made up their minds about whom to pick for the job during the brief meeting.
Dan Rowland, a spokesman for the commissioners, denied that the commissioners made up their minds about selecting Pearlman during the executive session.
But Steve Zansberg, an attorney who represents the Colorado Press Association and the Camera, said the recording is clear evidence that the commissioners essentially rubber-stamped their decision during a six-minute public meeting held two days later.
Read the rest of this report and listen to the audio recording at .
