U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Arvada, flatly denied he ever offered a job to a former state representative in exchange for the man’s resignation.
“Ed Perlmutter never offered Mr. [Steve] Lebsock a job,” campaign spokeswoman Ashley Verville said. “What Ed did offer was to help Mr. Lebsock find treatment and counseling to deal with his issues because Mr. Lebsock created a hostile work environment.”
Colorado’s House of Representatives expelled Lebsock from its chamber in March after five women accused him of sexual harassment, including fellow Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster. It was the first time in more than 100 years that Colorado lawmakers expelled one of their own.
Months before the expulsion vote, Lebsock told reporters that a prominent Democrat offered him a job if he’d resign.
The former Democrat from Thornton never said who called him with that offer until earlier this month during a radio interview with Karen Kataline on 600 KCOL.
Lebsock, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, told Kataline that Perlmutter called him two times within 48 hours of the first accusations breaking.
“He even went so far as saying, ‘Look, Steve, if you resign you know we will make sure that you land well and get a job and all that,'” Lebsock said. “I couldn’t believe it, and I said, ‘Ed, there is no way I’m going to resign because I didn’t do anything wrong.'”
Verville characterized the radio interview as an attempt by Lebsock “to distract from his own bad behavior.”
“Furthermore, shame on the Republican Party for perpetuating this nonsense,” Verville said.
The Colorado Republican Party sent out a news release Wednesday asking whether Perlmutter offered Lebsock a job.
“If Lebsock’s story is true, Congressman Perlmutter’s conduct was highly unethical, to say the very least … ,” Colorado Republican Chairman Jeff Hays said in the release. “The people of the 7th Congressional District deserve to know whether their representative is willing to cut dirty deals behind closed doors.”
Lebsock didn’t respond to a request for comment from The Denver Post.
