Jared Polis

campaign-finance · 2023-06-01 · Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division · Boldly Forward Colorado, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit originally created in 2018 to fund Polis's gubernatorial transition, admitted to violating Colorado's Fair Campaign Practices Act by spending approximately $391,875 in support of Proposition HH (a 2023 ballot measure backed by Polis) through contributions to Property Tax Relief Now without registering as an issue committee or reporting its electioneering activities. The nonprofit settled with the Colorado Secretary of State, agreeing to pay $17,593.76 in fines (reduced from a potential $54,000+ due to cooperation) and to disclose its donors. The complaint was filed by the conservative Public Trust Institute.

Sources: Colorado Sun · Colorado Public Radio (CPR News) · Denver Gazette

abuse-of-office · 2025-04-01 · In spring 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued administrative subpoenas seeking personal information on roughly 35 Coloradans who served as sponsors for unaccompanied immigrant children. Governor Polis, after initially declining, directed state Department of Labor and Employment staff to comply. Scott Moss, director of the department's Division of Labor Standards and Statistics, filed a whistleblower lawsuit arguing the order violated Colorado statutes (enacted 2021 and 2024) that bar state employees from sharing noncitizens' personal information with federal immigration authorities absent a criminal warrant. In June 2025, Denver District Court Judge A. Bruce Jones issued a preliminary injunction blocking Polis from forcing Moss and his staff to comply, calling the ICE subpoena 'overbroad' and finding compliance would likely violate state law. The governor's motion to dismiss was denied in December 2025. In April 2026, Judge Jones again barred Polis from ordering compliance with a second, similar ICE subpoena. Polis's office subsequently moved to end its effort to comply and filed notice of appeal to the Colorado Court of Appeals. · Two preliminary injunctions issued against the governor's compliance orders; motion to dismiss denied; case on appeal to the Colorado Court of Appeals as of mid-2026 with no final judgment yet.

Sources: Axios Denver · Colorado Sun · CPR News · Colorado Sun · Colorado Politics · Colorado Sun · Axios Denver

abuse-of-office · 2026-05-15 · On May 15, 2026, Governor Polis issued an executive order commuting the roughly nine-year prison sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters — convicted in 2024 for her role in a breach of county election equipment — to about four years and four-and-a-half months, making her eligible for parole June 1, 2026. Peters had been prosecuted by a Republican district attorney and sentenced by a judge; Polis said his decision rested on First Amendment concerns about the sentencing judge's consideration of her public statements. The Colorado Democratic Party's State Central Committee, in a formal vote on May 20, 2026, censured Polis with nearly 90% support, stating the commutation — issued amid public pressure from Donald Trump — sent the message that 'election tampering has consequences, unless you're friends with the president.' The censure bars Polis indefinitely from serving as an honored guest, featured speaker, or officially recognized representative at party-sponsored events. Some Democratic officials separately called for a special legislative session to consider impeachment, though no such proceeding has occurred. · Formally censured by the Colorado Democratic Party's State Central Committee (89.8% vote); barred indefinitely from official party events and speaking roles. This is a party disciplinary action, not a governmental or judicial finding.

Sources: NPR · Westword · Fox News · Colorado Newsline · CPR News