DA reviewing district residency, voting allegations involving Colorado Sen. Dennis Hisey
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The El Paso County District Attorney's Office is "reviewing" claims that a second State Senator from the county violated state law by misrepresenting his place of residence.
Earlier this month, a Grand Jury for the Fourth Judicial District indicted El Paso County State Senator Pete Lee on a felony charge - accusing Lee of falsifying his residence information on a ballot.
Last week, a non-profit called the Colorado Ethics Institute sent a memo to the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office alleging that Republican State Senator Dennis Hisey cast a ballot as a registered voter in the district he did not live in for the 2022 Republican Primary.
Hisey, the current State Senate District 2 representative in El Paso County, is campaigning for the new State Senate District 11 seat in Colorado Springs after state legislature redistricting last year.
In the memo, the group alleges Hisey used an address that wasn't his place of residence within the newly drawn Senate District 11 when he registered to vote.
According to Hisey's voter record as of October 2021, the Senator's address is located at Winter Sun Drive in Colorado Springs. The address on Hisey's voter record changed to an apartment on Westmeadow Drive in Colorado Springs on August 17. Both addresses are within Senate District 11.
The Republican Primary election was on June 28, and there is no indication, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office, that Hisey changed the address on his voter registration prior to casting a ballot. According to the voter profile report for Hisey from the Colorado Secretary of State's Office, the last ballot cast by Hisey was on June 28.
Hisey also used the Winter Sun Drive address when he declared to run for the Senate District 11 seat according to additional records obtained through the Colorado Secretary of State's Office.
However, investigators hired by the Colorado Ethics Institute allege he resides in Senate District 11 in name only.
The non-profit claims his real residence is located on Circle C Road in Fountain, which is a part of the old Senate District 2 and the new Senate District 12. According to El Paso County Assessors Office, Hisey and his wife are the owners of the home on Circle C Road.
The memo sent to the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office says investigators witnessed Hisey conducting "typical homeowner activities at or from the house" at Circle C Road. Over the course of their investigation that began in May of 2022, investigators documented Hisey answering the front door, mowing the front lawn around the home, and speaking to other homeowners in the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, at the home on Winter Sun Drive, the memo alleges Hisey was never seen engaging in "typical homeowner activities." In fact, investigators say Hisey was never seen at the Colorado Springs residence at all. However, one of Hisey's vehicles was spotted at the address a single time.
"I am writing to request that your office conduct a thorough investigation into whether he illegally cast a ballot in an election for which he was ineligible, as well as any other potential violations of Colorado law," the memo sent to the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office last week said.
According to state statute, any person who votes by knowingly giving false information regarding the elector's place of present residence commits a class 5 felony.
Sen. Dennis Hisey tells 13 Investigates he was splitting time between both addresses at Winter Sun Drive in Colorado Springs and Circle C Road in Fountain. The Senator reiterated that his current place of residence is the apartment on Westmeadow Drive in Colorado Springs.
According to the El Paso County Assessors Office, the home on Winter Sun Drive is not owned by Hisey. The State Senator says the owner of the home is his son, and he was renting a room from him. However, when 13 Investigates asked Hisey to provide a signed lease agreement between himself and his son, the State Senator said he did not have one.
"They know they can't win on the issues so they are just trying to find other ways to try to win this seat," Hisey said when asked about the memo.
The Republican State Senator says the Colorado Ethics Institute is a Democratic Party Operative. The non-profit tells 13 Investigates they are non-partisan.
"I have no concerns," Hisey said when asked if he fears that the District Attorney's Office will take action. "I was a resident when I voted. I am still a resident. I expect it to come to nothing. The vote is going to be settled on the issues that are important to the people. That's inflation, that's their schools, that's public safety and I trust the voters of Senate District 11 to make the right choice."
Hisey is currently campaigning for the Senate District 11 seat against Democratic Rep. Tony Exum of House District 17 in Colorado Springs and Daryl Kuiper an Independent.
It's unclear how long the DA's review of the allegations made by the Colorado Ethics Institute in their memo will take.
The Colorado Ethics Institute's memo does not say how much they paid to hire third-party investigators to conduct their inquiries into Sen. Hisey.
