A Colorado state senator resigned in disgrace after her state’s Senate Ethics Committee accused her of mistreating her aides and forging at least one letter of support from a member of her staff to improve her reputation, but she shared none of this with her constituents when she announced her resignation.
For background, State Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis (D-CO) abruptly announced her resignation on Facebook, saying that she was leaving public office to work with a non-profit. However, it was later revealed that Sen. Jaquez Lewis was being investigated by the Colorado Senate Ethics Committee for alleged mistreatment of her staff.
Announcing her resignation online, the senator said, “I have wonderful news to share. I have the opportunity to serve with a regional not-for-profit that focuses on developing future women and LGBTQ+ leaders through an International lens. So, Today, I am announcing my resignation from the Colorado Senate.” Continuing, she said that serving in public office “has been the honor of a lifetime.”
Furthermore, the senator said that she had been recognized by the White House for her work “as a leading advocate for gun violence prevention, reproductive rights, gender-affirming care, LGBTQ+, Latino, social justice issues, and environmental, climate policy, and my service during the Marshall fire,” saying that that recognition “is something she will never forget.”
However, the Ethics Committee reportedly clarified that Jaquez Lewis had been accused of submitting at least one — and possibly more than one — fabricated letter of support. Sen. Jaquez Lewis claimed that the letter of support was from an aide, but the aide denied having written in support of the senator and reportedly said that the letter was forged.
Moreover, in a lengthy response to the complaints against her, Jaquez Lewis dismissed the allegations and said she was “being made the artificial focus of this larger conflict,” referring to aides reportedly feeling “not appreciated and underpaid by members of the General Assembly.” In response, Sen. Dylan Roberts, another state Democrat, said, “The document, I don’t think, contains any sort of apology.”
Continuing, Sen. Roberts said that he understood that Jaquez Lewis “has every right to dispute the allegations and provide justification for that.” He added, “But there is no denying that a multitude of aides feel victimized for a variety of reasons.” Indeed, Jaquez Lewis did not appear to apologize in her response to the allegations, but she said that she takes “full responsibility for the running of my office and management of office staff.”
"*" indicates required fields
Moreover, in her response to the allegations, Jaquez Lewis said backhandedly that she had apologized to the aides who felt wronged by her: “I apologized to the staffer who I helped to get into graduate school, but could not offer a full-time job while he was there.” She continued, I have apologized to the staffer who was so stressed that she asked me not to run any more bills in 2023. I do appreciate my staff and always want the best for them within the constraints of my work for my constituents.”
Featured Image Credit: Sonya Jaquez Lewis via Facebook