Colorado Springs mayoral hopeful, current city councilman accused of using ‘city resources’ for his campaign

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Springs mayoral hopeful and current city councilmember Wayne Williams is currently under investigation by the Clerk's Office for "inappropriate use of city resources" for his own campaign.

A city spokesperson confirmed the city's attorney's office received a complaint Wednesday filed by a group called Integrity Matters. Integrity Matters is registered to John Pitchford, the former treasurer of the El Paso County GOP. Integrity Matters also led a recall effort for Williams as a city councilor.

Williams told 13 Investigates his team followed all instructions given to him by the Colorado Springs Fire Department.

"We absolutely follow the rules we were given," he said Wednesday night. In fact, Williams thinks the idea that he improperly used city resources to film a political tv ad, is more than a stretch."

"It's not just a stretch, it's an absurd stretch," Williams added.

The campaign rule in question appears to be this: "It shall be a violation of this part to use city resources to support or oppose, directly or indirectly, a person running for office..."

In this case, it's the Colorado Springs Fire Department.

"We took a picture of a public building," Williams said. "It is clearly not using city resources. That's absurd."

Williams may think it's absurd, but one of his opponents, Sallie Clark, told 13 Investigates she intentionally did what she could to not put herself in this position. 

Clark also has an ad showing a fire department and a firetruck. But take a close look, and you won't see a logo for the Colorado Springs Fire Department anywhere in her ad.

"We intentionally did not. We felt that it was just not appropriate," Clark said.

Clark didn't comment specifically on Williams' ad, but zooming in further, there is a firefighter helmet in the advertisement, labeled "Goose Creek Rural Fire Department, which is located in South Carolina.

"We didn't film anything that was within the city limits," Clark added.

As for Williams, he has no plans to take his ad off the air. 

"I'm running to be Mayor of Colorado Springs. I don't think you need to be generic when you talk about this city," Williams continued. "Again, firetrucks and fire department buildings are not secret."

Every complaint that is formally filed with the city gets investigated.

The City Clerk's office told 13 Investigates it cannot comment until a review concludes.

"I am confident that we followed city policy and that we communicated our intentions with the fire department officials that we encountered," said Ryan Lynch, with Williams' campaign. Lynch also said all of the footage that was shot was shot from public land and shows public property. "I think this is a manufactured political hit and nothing more," Lynch added.