The bipartisan legislative committee that oversees Colorado’s state audit voted on Wednesday along the lines of the political party to recognize Gov. Jared Polis’ personal business interests and personally benefit from the legislation he signed. declined the request to investigate whether

The Legislative Oversight Commission asks the State Comptroller to investigate whether it can even investigate broad allegations against the police, Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg (R-Sterling) wrote in a letter to the commission earlier this month. I voted 4 to 4 on that. .

The draw undermined the bill, with Democrats on the committee labeling Sonnenberg’s letter as nothing more than a political attack in his reelection year and an attempt to abuse the authority of the Commission. The letter raised broader questions about the scope of auditors to at least consider, he said.

Sonnenberg noted that the police’s “actual conflicts of interest have gone unchecked and left unexplained,” leading to state legislation requiring more detailed disclosure of the governor’s business interests. asked for a change in

He said he took a stake in FanDuel Inc., one of the country’s largest sportsbook businesses, from a law he signed to shift voters’ questions about sports betting legalized in the state. The Police claimed to have benefited.

Sonnenberg also said Police owns property in Boulder, which was advertised by the state’s Economic Development Agency, to facilitate leasing of office space.

In addition, Sonnenberg placed his business interests in trust to prevent potential conflicts of interest, as Sen. John Hickenlooper did when he was mayor of Denver and later governor of Colorado. He said the police had broken an election promise to get in.

“This is just a political letter written for political reasons, and if we take it seriously, we give credence to the politicization of this commission,” said the commissioner. Council member Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, said. “This is clearly an attack, it is partisan and it has a political purpose.”

Committee chair Senator Jim Smallwood, Republican Parker, said it would be a bad idea not to ask auditor Kelly Hunter’s office to at least investigate whether an audit could be conducted.

“I’d like to look at this from the perspective of the office itself, not the person elected,” Smallwood said, explaining that an audit of elected officials would be out of scope. The office is just like any other office in our state.Whether this is under (the auditor’s) authority or is it appropriate to look at the office?If you say the office is by no means auditable, That’s tragic.”

Sonnenberg lamented the result.

“It’s a shame that partisan politics get in the way of doing the right thing,” he told the Denver Gazette on Wednesday. There’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t say you have to, so elected officials would be more transparent.”

It is unclear whether he will file a complaint with the Colorado Ethics Commission.