The Colorado Independent Ethics Commission will look into a complaint filed against Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Dan Gibbs tied to a contract awarded to his wife's employer.
Along with a third ethics complaint filed against Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, the commission voted unanimously Tuesday to accept the Amendment 41 complaint against Gibbs.
It was filed last December by George Brauchler, the former Republican district attorney for the 18th Judicial District and on behalf of Defend Colorado, an advocacy group that does not disclose its funders and supports Republican-aligned issues.
The complaint alleged Gibbs awarded a $496,000 contract to the Keystone Policy Center, which employed his wife, Johanna Raquet Gibbs, as a senior project director.
The contract was awarded on April 22, 2021. Joanna Gibbs left the Keystone Center on June 30, 2021, according to a Keystone spokesperson.
The contract was related to "services related to public outreach on wolf reintroduction in Colorado," according to the complaint. The Keystone bid was 45% higher than the $270,000 bid submitted by CDR Associates, the complaint noted.
The Keystone Center also was paid at least $230,000 outside of that contract by DNR since July 2019, according to payments logged by the Colorado Online Transparency Project.
The complaint does not say when Johanna Gibbs was first employed by the Keystone Center, which has a long history of working on projects for the state in education, oil and gas, parks and wildlife, tourism and health policy.
Gibbs also allegedly filed false Conflict of Interest Disclosures in 2020 and 2021 that stated his department did not retain a consultant or contractor in which a member of his immediate family is employed, the complaint said.
In a statement to Colorado Politics, Gibbs said: "I am disappointed in the decision of the Independent Ethics Commission to continue consideration of the frivolous ethics complaint filed by dark money organizations against me. I look forward to vigorously defending my own integrity and the actions of our Department of Natural Resources and its divisions who work hard to adhere to the letter of state procurement, contracting, and conflict of interest standards.”
Defend Colorado also filed an ethics complaint last year against Rick Palacio, former interim chief of staff to Gov. Jared Polis. The commission is currently investigating that complaint. Palacio denies the allegation, tied to a contract awarded to his consulting company.
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