Aide testifies ex-treasurer asked her for kickback

By Sue Lindsay, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Paschall is on trial in Jeffco on attempted theft charges.

The top aide for former Jefferson County Treasurer Mark Pasch all told a jury Wednesday morning that her boss offered her a bonus that would have amounted to about $18,000 on the condition that he would get half.

Kathy Redmond, a political appointee, said Paschall made the offer on Dec. 27, 2006, just a few days before leaving office after losing his bid for re-election.

Paschall, a Republican, is on trial in Jefferson County for attempted theft.

Paschall denies the allegations. His attorney blames the charges on a vendetta by County Commissioner Jim Congrove, a Republican, who was angry with Paschall.

"This case is not about a kickback; this case is about a payback," defense lawyer David Lane said. "This is about an attempt to set Mark Paschall up and use Kathy Redmond to do it."

Redmond said Paschall took her aside and told her, "I'm going to offer you a ridiculous amount of money. It'll be for a severance, and I'd like half."

Redmond said she warned him about what would happen "if the media gets ahold of this," but Paschall said he didn't care, she said.

She said she told him she didn't want a severance payment because she would have to resign and then be ineligible for unemployment benefits. Redmond, a single mother with a son who has serious health problems, said she also was concerned about keeping her health insurance as long as possible.

Paschall persisted, she said, so she called Congrove, so he could stop the payment.

"I didn't want it," she said. "The offer to me was unethical."

Congrove contacted the district attorney's office, and Redmond agreed to participate in a secretly recorded conversation with Paschall.

In the recorded conversation, Paschall told her she should never refer to splitting the money when talking to others.

After taxes, she and Paschall were to split $18,000, she said.

"I just figured a third, and then a third, and a third. You know?" Paschall said on the tape.

"OK. I see. So a third going to taxes, then the third to me and the third to you," Redmond said.

Paschall replied, "Right."

Redmond said she was very upset about participating in the recorded phone calls with her former boss.

"I was trying to get my mind off of what he just admitted because I didn't want him to admit it," she said.

After their conversation ended, Redmond is heard saying, "Ohhh, Mark, you stupid, stupid man."

Several days later, after Paschall learned of a grand jury investigation into the payment, he left a message for Redmond:

"I find it unbelievable. I was just trying to help you out and everyone else at the end of the year," he said.

In other testimony, Donald P. Lee, who served with Paschall in the Colorado House of Representatives in the late 1990s, testified Paschall was a man of good character.

"I find it difficult, if not impossible to believe he would steal money," Lee said. "And I volunteered to come here. I was not subpoenaed."

lindsays@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5181 Julie Hutchinson contributed to this report.

• February 14, 2008

  2:30 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Downey1967 writes:

  Somebody got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, and they are now going to deny it. A former County employee no less, in of all places Jefferson County. WOW!!! didn't a former sheriff there in Jeffco just recently was arrested for harrassment, and violation of a protective order? What's next? a scandal from one of the judges there in Jeffco?

• February 14, 2008

  8:23 a.m.

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  Kslayer writes:

  Temptation runs in all of our blood. Each and everyone of us lives with Sin everyday. So, before we start to bash this guy about his ethics, and the positon he held, we should stop and think about some of the skeletons in our closet. Stuff like this goes on everyday, even now as we speak. It was wrong for what he tried to do. I like to think that every Human intends on doing the right thing most of the time. Sometimes we just arn't strong enough. So, fellow Posters, let the bashing and political arguments begin. Just remember he who is without sin should cast the first stone.

• February 14, 2008

  8:56 a.m.

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  bjeff writes:

  As a believer in Christ's principles, I generally agree with Kslayer's comments. However, two things make Mr. Paschall's situation different. First, he is an elected official. He has accepted public trust and should be held to a higher standard than others. Second, this is the same man who, while in the legislature, lectured his fellows as though they were sinful while he was not. Also, he is the same man who passed out leaflets in his office encouraging those serving on juries to ignore laws that conflicted with (his) fundamentalist Christian beliefs. In short, he is a self-righteous hypocrite. To use Kslayer's analogy: he's already thrown plenty of stones.

• February 14, 2008

  9:19 a.m.

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  Marshdale writes:

  bjeff. You are right on the money.

• February 14, 2008

  10:24 a.m.

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  valuesvoter writes:

  I agree bjeff. I have known Ms. Redmond for many years and I can't think of anyone that possesses the integrity, values, and God given moral conscience. I know for a fact that she is continuously seeking guidance from God and would chose to make an unpopular decision, such as this, rather than taking what would appear to others as being "the easy way" or as Christians refer to as "the world's way." God has blessed Ms. Redmond with so many fine qualities and she has been taught many of those values by her supportive and loving midwestern family, lead by her father, a successful military officer,that there is never a reason to compromise your integrity. If you ask Kathy a question, you best be prepared for an honest answer.

• February 14, 2008

  10:33 a.m.

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  hikingartist writes:

  "Temptations runs in all our blood". Ball of Confusion-Thats what the world is today. Or is it Just My Imagination?

• February 14, 2008

  10:57 a.m.

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  Theoldguy writes:

  I wanna job at Jeffco. I knew how to play those games 30 years ago. I grew up in Mayor Daley's Chicago.

• February 14, 2008

  11:05 a.m.

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  Spencer writes:

  WWJD?