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Jeffco Commissioner snooping probe requested

Group wants DA to see whether public funds used

Charley Able, Rocky Mountain News

Published February 16, 2007 at midnight

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A nonprofit watchdog group wants a criminal investigation to determine whether Jefferson County Commissioner Jim Congrove and former County Attorney Frank Hutfless broke the law by investigating county employees and private citizens.

The group, Colorado Citizens for Ethics in Government, announced Thursday it has asked District Attorney Scott Storey and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office to "launch an immediate investigation" into the use of taxpayer money for the employee investigations.

"I have not found any legitimate reason authorized by law for conducting these investigations," said Chantell Taylor, director of the citizens group.

"Using taxpayer dollars to pursue personal vendettas is a serious crime and an egregious abuse of the public trust," Taylor said. "Law enforcement officials should immediately investigate whether these or other Jefferson County officials misused public funds."

The announcement follows a Rocky Mountain News report quoting former Commissioner Dave Auburn as saying Congrove initiated the investigations. Auburn also said Congrove had current and former county employees, including Hutfless, investigated.

Hutfless has said Congrove wanted his friend, private investigator Darill Cinquanta, hired to conduct the inquiries.

Congrove has characterized the allegations as "lies" and said he knew nothing about the investigations.

The Rocky obtained county documents showing that the county attorney's office paid Cinquanta more than $7,000 to conduct at least some of the investigations.

The citizens group obtained similar documents from the county through an Open Records Act request and said in a news release that it concluded "both Commissioner Congrove and County Attorney Hutfless were aware of and authorized payments to (Cinquanta's) agency using public funds."

Cinquanta operates Professional Investigators Inc.

Among those investigated were parties, including the plaintiffs' attorney, in a civil rights lawsuit filed against Congrove and the county.

Congrove has said the attorney, Chris Paulsen, was investigated only to get information about his legal expertise.

Invoices submitted to the county indicate Paulsen was tailed and watched by Cinquanta's firm, but give no indication that Paulsen's legal experience ever was the subject of investigation.

"The commissioner's response and the documents we have reviewed don't really add up," Taylor said.

Congrove and Hutfless did not return calls for comment.

Taylor's request, mailed to the district attorney and sheriff's office, reached Storey's office Thursday, where a spokeswoman said a decision on how to proceed will be made in a day or two.

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