After Friday’s disclosure of an upcoming fundraiser for the Larimer County Republican Party featuring Secretary of State Scott Gessler in a dunk tank–coming just weeks after Gessler’s office slashed fines owed by the same Larimer County GOP after years of mismanagement and the impending prosecution of the former chairman–editorial boards in Denver and Grand Junction today blasted Gessler for the conflict of interest the situation plainly smacks of.
After so many ethical blind-spot scandals, such as Gessler’s disastrous moonlighting attempt at his old law firm, the Denver paper flat-out wonders today “if he’ll ever get it.” They suggest if Gessler wishes to “salvage his standing” as the impartial official in charge of Colorado elections, swiftly canceling this fundraiser is the first thing to do.
The conservative Grand Junction Sentinel, whose editorial appears behind a paywall online today, is even less forgiving–comparing Gessler’s fundraiser for Larimer County Republicans to the outrage Gov. John Hickenlooper would face if he hosted a fundraiser to pay an oil company’s fine (unwritten answer: a lot). Says the Sentinel, “elected public officials have a responsibility to avoid such blatant conflict of interest. Gessler, an attorney, shouldn’t need a remedial ethics course to understand what constitutes a conflict.”
Like we said on Friday when we first broke the story, nobody is suggesting that this fundraiser is illegal, even if it’s about the most politically counterproductive and self-injurious thing a Secretary of State could possibly do. But there’s a larger question in all of this, one asked during Gessler’s previous embarrassments but perhaps more earnestly as time goes on.
Does Scott Gessler give a crap what you–or anyone–think about anything? Does he even care about re-election, higher office, any of that? Or is four years of the fox in charge of the henhouse the full sum of Gessler’s career aspirations? A poll follows.
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When your poll questions pretty much succinctly says it all.
A Republican told me last week-end.
for the rest of his political life. From now on, that’s the definitive Gessler.
probably thinks Gessler should have waived the entire fine. He should probably cancel as one of them might hold him under water
Everyone keeps pointing out the conflict of interest and ethical issues, but to me the worst bit is how demeaning a dunk tank gimmick is to the office. He is deliberately degrading the Secretary of State as a constitutional institution.
The Larimer Dems had a great, hard-hitting fundraising email yesterday:
http://myemail.constantcontact…
wonder how I might acuire one
reminds me that the phrase “legal ethics” all too often is a contradiction in terms.
Gessler proves it.
I might have missed it–I was busy this weekend.
He would need to be aware that other people exist to care.
The liberal Denver Post and stealth liberal GJ Sentinel are suddenly Godlike now?
Gessler does care about the opinions of those who elected him. This isn’t a problem for us, and it’s surer than hell not a problem for active party members like myself. And it wasn’t a problem for YOU when Bernie Buescher waived fines left and right.
But you have TWO liberal media mouthpieces on your side, so obviously Gessler should resign immediately. Zzzzz…
in a narrow and partisan manner?
How about some names of people who didn’t have a problem with Buescher waiving fines? Just one will do.
Me thinks you’re pulling your argument straight out of your asshole to defend someone who is a traitor to the concepts of Democracy and impartial office holders but then you spend so much time peering up your orifice that is is a wonder your hands are free to type.
The difference is that Gessler only waives fines on the right. Plus the whole helping the crooks pay off the fine which is of course the point of the story.
Correct? Just going out of my way to give you the benefit of the doubt…
That hotbed of stealth liberalism.
I could have sworn they elected people like Craig Meis (to replace Kathy Hall no less) and that guy with the hair that can’t keep his books straight…all simply because of the (R). Some crazy undercover James Bond stuff going on, clearly.
Have you ever read the Sentinal? Even one issue? Another one: Can you see Utah from your front porch?
Gazette is liberal mouthpiece.
“Stealth” liberal mouthpiece.
resort the false equivalency argument as their only point.
“You’re just as bad as us” is the only thing these simpletons can come up with. You would think that the party with superior moral standards would want to do better than being just as bad as the hated liberals.
Of course the truth is this slime ball with his head up his ass has no facts or examples to prove his false equivalency argument.
None.
He just pulls another false equivalency out of his butthole and expects people to recognize it as truth.
GrOPer can’t handle the truth that Gessler is a partisan slut who will go in the tank for his buddies any day.
I’ve known some sluts and they frequently feel shame and remorse
Since you are far too progressive a man to suggest that women should be shameful and express remorse for enjoying sex? Just makin’ sure.
for being just a little too drunk, choosing a guy that they wish they hadn’t, etc
As for the other reasons, I think shame and remorse are a little too intense for fairly minor mistakes. Perhaps regret and nausea. Or regret that there are no Tums in the cabinet for the nausea.
(What do I know? I’ve never had a hangover.)