Commission Report Confirms Hickenlooper Ethics Violations

For Immediate Release

11/7/19

Denver, CO - The Colorado Independent Ethics Commission today issued a Report of Investigation that confirms Governor John Hickenlooper repeatedly accepted corporate gifts and in direct violation of Amendment 41.

Former Colorado Speaker of the House Frank McNulty filed the Complaint over one year ago and provide the following statement: “Governor Hickenlooper is a serial ethics violator. That fact has been an open secret for years and this Report has exposed John Hickenlooper. The Ethics Commission Report not only confirms the serious ethics claims against Governor Hickenlooper but raises additional ethics problems for John Hickenlooper. This is bigger and deeper than we even thought.”

Key Findings in Report

Key facts verified by the Report for Investigation include:

  • Bilderberg Conference. The Report confirms Fiat Chrysler paid for John Hickenlooper’s attendance at the lavish Bilderberg conference in Germany. Hickenlooper admitted that he only paid for flight and hotels and a corporation paid for the conference costs including elaborate meals, expensive programs, and a personal chauffeur in a Maserati limousine.   The Secretary confirms that invitation was to Hickenlooper and not transferable. 

  • MDC Private Flight:  MDC Holdings confirms that a corporation paid for Hickenlooper’s flight on a private jet owned by MDC Holdings and it was not paid for by an individual. This disclosure directly contradicts Hickenlooper’s response that the airfare was given by a “personal friend” (Hickenlooper Response, November 21, 2018, pg. 8)  Accepting such gifts from a corporation is a per se violation of Amendment 41 and none of the Amendment 41 exceptions even apply.

  • PEM LLC Flight to Jackson Hole:  The Report confirms that PEM LLC provided private jet travel to Hickenlooper from Washington D.C. to Jackson Hole, WY.  This is a per se violation of Amendment 41 and none of the Amendment 41 exceptions even apply.

  • Kimball Musk Private Flight:  The Report confirms that Hickenlooper flew on a private jet owned by a corporation with Kimble Musk.  Hickenlooper initially defended this private jet travel as compensation for services that Hickenlooper provided for officiating Musk’s wedding (Hickenlooper Response, November 21, 2018, pg. 10)  Hickenlooper now claims that he attempted to pay for the flight but Musk never cashed the check when the check was not even made out to Musk but instead  to a non-profit organization.   

    Additional Violations

The Report makes clear that the Commission only has jurisdiction over ethics violations from the prior 12 month period. Additional ethics violations committed by John Hickenlooper that the Commission is unable to rule on include: regular travel on corporate jets, trips to Switzerland aboard Liberty Media’s corporate jet, fly into watch an Eagles concert on DaVita’s executives private jet, flying to Super Bowl 50 aboard a private jet, courtside seats at Nuggets games, and regular attendance at  high dollar Aspen and Denver social events.  See more at:  www.publcitrustinstitute.org/Tip-Of-Iceberg

“This Report should be a wakeup call for John Hickenlooper to stop dodging questions and hiding facts.  Colorado does not put up with Chicago style politics and John Hickenlooper owes an apology to Colorado citizens for his serious ethical lapses.”

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Public Trust Institute