KRDO13 Investigates: ‘An Evening with Mayor Yemi’ hosted by Ford Amphitheater developer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A recent fundraiser hosted by the developer of Ford Amphitheater for Mayor Yemi Mobolade is raising questions for a city councilor, saying it was a conflict of interest.

KRDO13 Investigates received a tip regarding "An Evening with Mayor Yemi" at Roth’s Sea & Steak on Thursday, Oct. 22.

JW Roth and his wife, Kilyn Roth, hosted the event. JW Roth developed the Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs. A spokesperson for Roth's company, "VENU," which owns the amphitheater, tells KRDO13 Investigates that the event was a fundraiser for the mayor's reelection campaign.

In an email obtained by KRDO13 Investigates, sent by Kilyn Roth, the event was stated to be an "opportunity to bring friends and community members together to hear from Mayor Yemi as he shares his vision for Colorado Springs."

According to the invitation, the fundraiser was held Thursday night at Roth's Sea and Steak, right above Ford Amphitheater.

In May, the City of Colorado Springs issued a noise hardship permit for the Ford Amphitheater. That allows the venue to hold events that are louder than the city's standard noise limit. This has been highly controversial, with residents in the area expressing their frustrations. Some even sued over the noise.

Current Colorado Springs City Councilman Dave Donelson, who has also announced his intent to run for mayor, called this terrible judgment by the mayor. He says it is wrong and a conflict of interest.

"The citizens around the amphitheater have complained year after year, time after time, night after night, about excessive noise," Donelson told KRDO13 Investigates. "When citizens look at the mayor receiving a fundraiser by the person who's going to ask for that waiver, I think it again reinforces this idea you can't trust city government."

Donelson has been a proponent of campaign finance transparency. In 2024, Donelson was censured by his fellow councilors after questioning contributors, some of which were from a local developer.

Some councilors then pointed to Donelson's run for the Colorado House of Representatives in 2024, where he received large donations from major developers. KRDO13 Investigates asked Donelson about the donations again on Friday.

"The donations I accepted from developers were when I was running for the state House," Donelson said. "In the state House, developers don't come in front of you and ask you to approve their projects. There's a huge difference there."

In response to Donelson's criticism of the event, JW Roth called Donelson "a clown."

Donelson responded.

"It just shows that Mr. Roth thinks if an elected representative truly represents the citizens, they're a clown," Donelson said. "If that representative does Mr. Roth's bidding, then they're probably an outstanding representative."

Mayor Mobolade told KRDO13 Investigates at an event today that he is willing to sit down next week to speak about this event. VENU says that Mobolade's campaign will make the disclosures. The filing date for this would be November 2.

The Yemi for Mayor 2027 Campaign provided KRDO13 Investigates with the following statement regarding the fundraiser:

"Mayor Yemi’s campaign has hosted dozens of meet-and-greets and fundraisers across Colorado Springs, from neighborhood gatherings in residents’ homes to engagements with local businesses and community leaders. 

Mayor Yemi was invited to a fundraising event hosted by JW at Brohan’s Bar, bringing together local business owners and dozens of community and business leaders from across the city.

Following Colorado Springs’ recognition as the No. 1 city in the nation for small businesses, the event provided an opportunity for the Mayor to share his vision for sustaining that momentum and strengthening Colorado Springs as a place where small businesses can start, grow, and thrive.

As a former small-business owner, Mayor Yemi understands the challenges and opportunities entrepreneurs face. He will continue to welcome opportunities to engage with the local business community and share his vision for a city that champions entrepreneurship, supports local businesses, and creates opportunities for residents to prosper."

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