Pueblo councilor Lori Winner files police report against City Attorney
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Last month, Pueblo City Councilwoman Lori Winner filed a police report against City Attorney Dan Kogovsek. The action stems from a verbal altercation between Kogovsek and Winner during an executive session meeting on October 28.
During the executive session meeting discussing an ethics complaint against Mayor Nick Gradisar, Winner alleges Kogovsek "hovered over me, shook his finger 6 inches from my face, voice raised in a threatening manner, verbalizing anger and showing physical signs of anger," the police report states.
Winner was questioning the mayor's attorneys attendance during the executive session meeting. She felt Gardisar and Kogovsek should not have been present when an ethics complaint against him was being discussed.
"I questioned if Dan should be present since he is the Mayors attorney and there could be a conflict of interest," Winner said. "I really thought he might hit me. I felt very threatened, so I turned around and I kind of put my hands up and I asked the rest of council, I said what is going on here? Dan continued to rant and he walked over and sat across from me and then Mark Aliff intervened."
Former City Councilman Mark Aliff wrote a witness letter that has since been added to the HR complaint filed by Winner against Kogovsek. In that letter, Aliff states, "Mr. Kogovsek was very aggressive and intimidating in his posture and his actions and caused me to have concern for the safety of councilor Winner. Finally, Mr. Kogovsek retreated and sat directly across from councilor Winner at the table but continued to verbally attack her opinions."
Pueblo Police investigated the report and found that no criminal actions should be taken against Kogovsek.
Winner says she was entirely calm during the entire public meeting on October 28. The executive session meeting followed.
"I felt that physical violence was on the cusp. I believe if Dan had treated any of the men on council in this manner, there may have been an altercation, therefore, less dangerous for Dan to take out his anger on a woman," Winner said in the police report.
Winner told KRDO she wants an investigation started into Kogovsek's actions. She claims her HR complaint has not been properly handled by the City or the Mayor's office.
"Dan is a direct report to the Mayor and the head of HR has to have permission from the Mayor for any type of investigation and he has refused to open an investigation on this," Winner said.
KRDO reached out to both Mayor Gradisar and Kogovsek. According to a spokesperson, both declined to be interviewed. Instead, Gradisar issued this statement: "The Pueblo Police Department investigated this report and found no criminal activity."
