Friednash: Ethics commission failed public and politicians in Hickenlooper ruling
Juicy headlines about ethics violations on the eve of the primary election is exactly what the group that filed a complaint against former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper were hoping for. And the Independent Ethics Commission didn’t disappoint.
Amendment 41 includes a gift ban, limiting the value of something that a public official can accept. In 2018, the gift limit amount was $59. In 2008, former Colorado Supreme Court Justice Jean Dubofsky and I challenged the gift ban provisions of Amendment 41. Our concern was two-fold. First, the measure would chill First Amendment rights. And, it could become a political hunting license to destroy elected officials’ reputations for conduct that wasn’t unethical.
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