Still no public response from Maketa on investigation
On Tuesday, El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa again declined to speak publicly about the investigation of improper behavior in his office.
Many voters have asked to hear directly from Maketa about allegations of creating a hostile work environment, misuse of taxpayer money and sexual favoritism. He’s under investigation by the Board of County Commissioners.
Public demand for further explanation from Maketa increased after he posted a video on the department’s internal website last weekend. In the video, he admitted to denying that he committed “inappropriate behavior in the past,” apologized for that behavior and promised to “get better.”
“If he can apologize to his employees, why can’t he apologize to the people who voted for him and supported him?” asked a man walking past the Sheriff’s Office. “We deserve that.”
KRDO NewsChannel 13 asked the Sheriff’s Office why Maketa hasn’t issued a public apology similar to the one his employees received. Office Spokesman Lt. Jeff Kramer responded in the following statement:
Sheriff Terry Maketa fully intends to address the public about these recent events once the independent investigation is complete. Sheriff Maketa feels it’s inappropriate to “play the case out” through the media as it would undermine the investigation and the efforts of the county commissioners in getting the investigation in place. This approach is also consistent with EEOC guidelines, which prescribe a level of confidentiality be adhered to in these cases. The fact that others have chosen to disregard those EEOC confidentiality guidelines is unfortunate.
KRDO NewsChannel 13 also asked the Office about Maketa placing three commanders who filed a complaint against him on leave, while the three female subordinates with whom he’s accused of having improper relationships have remained on the job.
Kramer responded in the same statement:
The commanders were placed on leave due to several policy violations; those violations are not tied, nor related to the EEOC complaint. The first steps to place them on leave preceded the filing of their EEOC complaint.
The commanders accuse Maketa of having inappropriate relationships with the three women and promoting them to positions they didn’t earn. Hundreds of intimate texts and emails have surfaced that document his relationship with one of the women, comptroller Dorene Cardarelle.
Undersheriff Paula Presley and Tiffany Huntz, head of dispatcher training, also were accused by the commanders. All three women deny being involved in improper relationships with Maketa.
Maketa said last week that the commanders will remain on paid leave until the investigation is finished, or until whether the Office determines whether they violated department policy.
