Town of Monument voted to investigate alleged campaign contribution violations

MONUMENT, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Town of Monument voted to begin an investigation into itself.

The town’s council held a special meeting Tuesday night to vote on two issues, whether or not to open an investigation into claims that the town violated the Fair Campaign Practices Act and hire a special attorney to conduct the investigation.

According to the agenda, the controversy center around a donation From the Town of Monument to the Monument for Home Rule Issue Committee for signs and door hangers related to their campaign. The agenda does not indicate how much money the town contributed towards the issue committee’s campaign. 

“The Investigation, paid for by the Town of Monument, requires that the town staff and any others to be investigated fully cooperate with the investigative attorney during interviews, provisions of document, access to emails and phone records, and timely responses to phone calls and email questions as requested by the attorney,” the resolution reads. 

In October, Mayor Pro Tem Kelly Elliott submitted a campaign finance complaint stating there is no accounting for who's paying for the signs and door hangers related to the ballot issue to make Monument a Home Ruled Municipality.

"They reported $5.00 March 2022 - October 2022," Elliott said in the complaint obtained by 13 Investigates. "If they refuse to accurately report their finances then the signs need to be removed as they do not comply with state and town rules."

However, according to an amended contribution and expenditure report for the issue committee called Citizens for Home Rule, the Town of Monument contributed $2500 to the issue campaign on May 6 for the yard signs and door hangars. 

Municipalities or government agencies are not permitted to make “any contributions, to urge electors to vote in favor of or against any local ballot issue…” according to Colorado state law. 

“Whether it was a yes or no on whatever ballot issue or particular person that was running for the election doesn't matter to me," Elliott told 13 Investigates. "What matters to me is that the taxpayers dollars were spent without their permission on one side of a ballot issue.”

Monument council members voted to approve the investigation, however, there were some council members that voted concerns pertaining to the cost for tax payers.

“I voted no because I don't want us to waste taxpayer money," Monument Council Member Redmond Ramos told 13 Investigates. "I don't want us as a town to spend $20,000 potentially to to maybe get back $2500.”

The investigation was approved by council Tuesday night, but they still haven't hired an investigator.

On the agenda was a second resolution to hire Scott Gesler as their special attorney. However, council members voted to table the hiring. In the coming days Monument's council will hold another public meeting to ask the proposed special attorney questions prior to hiring.

“We don’t know yet how much it's going to cost, and yes, that is a concern for me," Elliott said. "(Spending tax payer dollars) always has been a concern for the eight plus years I've been on the board. But the investigator has that has been proposed, the one that we hope to choose, has proposed a very short timeline.”

According to the tabled resolution, the investigator is required to provide weekly updates on the investigation’s process to the Town’s Council on Dec. 19 and Dec. 27, and have the investigation completed by Dec. 30.