On Jan. 21, the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission (IEC) offered a procedural update on a motion it received to dismiss a complaint filed against Archuleta County Commissioner Veronica Medina.
The motion came in response to a case filed in June 2024. The IEC voted unanimously on Nov. 19, 2024, to deem the complaint nonfrivolous.
For more on that, see the Dec. 26, 2024, issue of The SUN.
What began as a response to that complaint subsequently arrived to the IEC as a formal motion to dismiss on Jan. 16, according to IEC Executive Director Dino Ioannides at the Jan. 21 meeting.
“Since this is a dispositive motion, the 21-day period for response time has not run yet, so we don’t have a response from the complainant in this case,” Ioannides said. “You don’t have to take any action on this today while we wait for the response to come in.”
The motion to dismiss the complaint was signed by special counsel John. S. Gleason of Burns, Figa and Will on behalf of Medina.
The motion to dismiss, including exhibits, spans 24 pages.
In part of the motion, Gleason summarizes the June 17 ethics complaint filed by Ashley Springer against Medina — a licensed real estate agent — for allegedly failing to recuse herself and disclose potential conflicts of interest during Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners discussions around land purchases.
“[Medina] disclosed her association with Exit Realty and Ranch to the other commissioners publicly,” the motion states. “She had nothing to do with the listing of the Highway 160 property and would receive no financial benefit had the property been selected.”
It continues, “Furthermore, the county does not pay any realtor fees. Respondent also sought guidance from the County Attorney and was advised that the fact she was a realtor did not create a conflict sufficient for recusal.”
The motion also quotes Colorado Revised Statute 18-8-308, defining potential conflicting interests as existing “when the public servant is a director, president, general manager, or similar executive officer or owns or controls directly or indirectly a substantial interest in any nongovernmental entity participating in the transaction.”
“The Respondent denies that she has violated any Colorado statute,” the motion states, and calls Springer’s allegations “mere labels and conclusions” and “rumor” that “are not entitled to the assumption of truth.”
A copy of the motion was also sent to Springer, according to Gleason, who also notes that Medina fully participated in its drafting.
The IEC typically convenes monthly.
garrett@pagosasun.com