Former state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis of Longmont has been charged with attempting to influence a public servant, a Class 4 felony.
Jaquez Lewis’ next day in court is Aug. 7, according to the Denver District Attorney’s office.
Jaquez Lewis resigned in February during an ethics investigation into alleged mistreatment of her legislative aides.
Her resignation came in the wake of allegations that she “fabricated” at least one letter of support from a former aide in her 17-page response to the ethics committee on Jan. 31. Questions were also raised about the authenticity of four other letters in support of her.
Five former aides filed a complaint through the Political Workers Guild in January.
Former aide Anna McLean had told Senate President James Coleman and the committee that she did not write a letter of support under her name.
“I was dumbfounded to hear my own name” in relation to those letters of support, McLean wrote.
According to Ed DeCecco, director of the Office of Legislative Legal Services, McLean told Ben FitzSimons, who directs the Office of Workplace Relations, that she had not spoken to Jaquez Lewis in a year.
DeCecco said that Jaquez Lewis told FitzSimons the “letter was information she had from Ms. McLean from years ago, and that she stated the letter was based on conversations they had. Director FitzSimons determined that it was more likely than not that she had not, that Ms. McLean did not write the letter of support, and indeed it was done without her knowledge or consent.”
During the final meeting of the ethics committee, which met on Feb. 18 before disbanding in the wake of Jaquez Lewis’ resignation, Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, a former assistant district attorney, said that not only did Jaquez Lewis “fabricate” the letter but that it could be a violation of Colorado state law, along with other potential violations of campaign finance and other statutes.
“I hope this isn’t the end of the discussion,” Roberts said, adding what Jaquez Lewis is alleged to have done should be further examined over the coming months.
Sen. Katie Wallace was chosen by a vacancy committee to replace Jaquez Lewis.
