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Paschall's legal woes elicit little sympathy on floor of Senate

Former colleagues recall 4-term rep's contentious ways

Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News

Published January 31, 2007 at midnight

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Half of Colorado's 35 state senators served in the House with Mark Paschall.

Most of them don't have happy memories of their time together.

The news that Paschall, a four- term representative who went on to become Jefferson County treasurer, has been charged with asking an aide for a kickback was the talk of the Senate on Tuesday.

Many lawmakers expressed sorrow for his family but not for the outspoken Arvada Republican, who often tangled with them when he served in the House.

Paschall had a reputation for being mean to Democrats, who were in the minority, a bully to fellow Republicans and someone who wasn't always on the up and up.

"I'm saddened by this event," remarked Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, although he was laughing as he said that.

"But I don't think a lot of us are surprised," he added.

That was the nearly unanimous sentiment from senators who once served in the House with Paschall.

"He finally got caught with his hand in the cookie jar," said Sen. Ron Tupa, D- Boulder.

Paschall could not be reached for comment.

Lawmakers passed around Tuesday's Rocky Mountain News, which featured Paschall's booking mug and an enormous headline: "Caught on tape."

"Mark Paschall always wanted his picture on the front page," said Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Westminster. "He finally got it."

"Say, 'He looks good in county orange,' " Sen. Bob Hagedorn D- Aurora, said to Tochtrop, who laughed and repeated his remark.

Paschall was first elected to the House in 1992. He served four two-year terms.

In an annual end-of-session skit on the House floor in 2002, Democrats lampooned Paschall by giving him a large black trash bag as a souvenir "doggie bag."

They noted that lobbyists had complained about Paschall pressuring them to buy him merchandise or running up the dinner tab by ordering extra entrees that he took home.

But Republicans had their issues, too.

During a committee hearing in 2001, Paschall used a rare legal maneuver to kill a fellow Republican's bill without the sponsor being present, causing an uproar.

In a GOP caucus that followed, Rep. Joyce Lawrence, of Pueblo, squared off against Paschall.

"I can tell you there are a couple of people in here I wouldn't trust with my dog," she said at the time. "This is kind of getting a little slick and sleazy around here."

Several Republican lawmakers walked out as Paschall tried to defend his actions.

"I think everybody in the Capitol has a Paschall story or two in their pocket," Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, said Tuesday.

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