As Colorado Confidential reports, Republican Rep. Bill Berens (HD-33), can’t seem to explain why he accepted a $20,000 personal check at a golf tournament sponsored by the Colorado Oil & Gas Association:
The memo line of the check indicates that the gift was a prize for shooting a hole-in-one at the trade group’s golf tournament sponsored by a trove of international oil, gas, and financial interests. That’s typically an achievement worthy of serious bragging rights as an ace is a fairly rare occurence for the average golfer.
However, when asked to comment about the contribution, Berens denied in an email that it was a gift but refused to say what the $20,000 represented. Instead, he got defensive:
“Please call Rep. Michael Garcia, Asst. Majority Leader – D as he was there with me during the entire day and he will explain everything in detail.”
Said Garcia: “This isn’t my story. I don’t know why I have to explain something that [Berens] won.”
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He knew it, he fumbled the response and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I am amazed how unethical a state legislator he really is. I can’t believe he tried to drag Representative Garcia into this. Colorado’s own Duke Cunningham…
It’s also rumored from very credible sources inside the Oil and Gas Association that COGA is funding an anti-Ritter 527. They are concerned their “free pass” they’ve had in un-checked west slope development throughout the Owens administration may be hampered by a Ritter administration that prefers local control over fed-mandated policy
Was everyone attending the tournament allowed to try for a hole-in-one prize? If he just got lucky that’s one thing, but if oil & gas are subsidizing Republican salaries that’s another. I don’t like Berens, but I have to wonder if won the lottery from CO Parks & Rec if I’d be so suspicious…
Is that anybody above 18 can walk in off the street and buy a lottery ticket. It sounds like this event was closed to legislators and a few lobbyists. So, if, let’s say, the Colorado Oil and Gas Association sold lottery tickets, but only legislators could buy them, would that make a $20,000 legislator-winner OK? What if the odds of winning were 1 in 50? 1 in 5? At what point does it cross the line?
I say it crosses the line when the Oil and Gas Association offers cash prizes to any legislator. Period.
Primavera just got handed this seat (and the Democrats just got the Legislature guaranteed to them); she just has to get out there and take it.
Is he evil and scheming for it? I don’t know. Stupid is about the best thing you can say about him.
In no world, whether it’s parks and rec, oil and gas or Bin Laden and the Taliban is it OK for a group with issues before the government body to give a legislator $20,000 (a 2/3s pay raise). There is no scenario that makes this look OK even if he gives it back or donates it to the NW Parkway to make up for his other fiscal faux pas.
If he puts it towards his campaign then he needs to be locked up and the key thrown away!