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Senate leadership refers ethics complaint on Sen. Hawkes Lewis and appoints five-member ethics committee
Summary
Senate President James R. Coleman, Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez and Minority Leader Paul Lindeen announced an ethics complaint filed against Senator Hawkes Lewis and formed a five-member Senate Committee on Ethics, appointing three majority and two minority members and setting a 10-day response deadline once the committee is fully appointed.
On Jan. 21, 2025, Senate leadership announced receipt of an ethics complaint naming Senator Hawkes Lewis and initiated a formal ethics review process under Senate Rule 43, including formation of a five-member Senate Committee on Ethics.
The complaint, filed Jan. 10, 2025, by Haley Shea McMorrow of the Political Workers Guild of Colorado on behalf of Lee Davis, Luke Dozier, Louis Echeverri, Lacey McGinty and Molly Stawanaga, triggered the requirement under Senate Rule 43 that the Senate appoint a committee to review the allegation, a letter from the president and party leaders says.
Under the rules cited in the leadership letter, the committee will contain five members: three appointed from the majority party by the president and two from the minority party appointed by the minority leader. The leadership letter required appointments no later than Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, and said that if Senator Hawkes Lewis wishes to respond she must submit a written answer to the committee within 10 days after all members are appointed.
Senate President James R. Coleman then sent a follow-up message appointing Senator Julie Gonzales, Senator Dylan Roberts and Senator Mike Wiseman to the committee and naming Senator Gonzales chair; Assistant Minority Leader Cleve Simpson was named vice chair. That appointment was described as effective immediately in the president's message. The leadership letter also asked legislative council staff and the Office of Legislative Legal Services to provide staffing and legal assistance to the committee.
Senator Julie Gonzales, appointed chair, urged colleagues to allow the committee to conduct a fair and impartial review and to refrain from engaging with committee members about the matter while it is pending. "Please allow the committee the time in order to engage in this important work so that we can conduct a fair and impartial hearing," Gonzales said on the Senate floor.
The leadership notice and the president's appointment establish the procedural steps to begin an ethics review, but they do not describe any findings or sanctions. The committee's review, any response from Senator Hawkes Lewis, and any subsequent committee recommendations were not recorded in the Jan. 21 session transcript.
Further actions remaining include any committee hearings, the senator's written response if submitted within the required time frame, and any committee report or recommendation to the full Senate.
