Last week I highlighted the story of two Adams County commissioners on the take from the owner of a company with $12 million in no-bid county government contracts. I've since discovered another local blogger, who has offered some strong, unsolicited advice to commissioners Skip Fischer and Alice Nichol:Accepting a contribution from the beneficiary of the no-bid contract creates, at the least, an appearance of graft. If you aren't going to do your job properly, at the minimum you, should act shocked that it happened, promise to get to the bottom of it and take the appropriate punitive and corrective actions. And make it completely obvious that you do not benefit in any way from the misdeed. Colluding with another Commissioner on … [Read more...]
Adams County Officials Take Campaign Cash from No-Bid Contract Holder
Colorado's saga of no-bid contract corruption continues. The Brighton Standard-Blade is reporting that two Adams County Commissioners received campaign contributions from a paving company owner who holds millions of dollars in sole source contracts from the county (H/T Complete Colorado):According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s website, the election committees of Commissioners Alice Nichol and W.R. "Skip" Fischer received $1,000 from Jerry Rhea, president of Quality Paving Co. According to a Channel 7 news investigation last month, Rhea is a friend of Adams County Public Works Director Lee Asay. Asay was placed on administrative leave after the investigation found he awarded $12 million in no-bid contracts to Rhea’s … [Read more...]