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March 02, 2006 09:00 AM UTC

Stengel Resigns as Minority Leader

  • 44 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

After stubbornly refusing to admit wrongdoing for weeks after it was revealed that he had billed for more working hours than any other legislator in years — including billing for hours worked when was on vacation in Hawaii and taking the bar exam — Republican Rep. Joe Stengel today announced that he was resigning his post as House Minority Leader. From the Rocky Mountain News:

Embattled Rep. Joe Stengel stepped down as House Minority Leader this morning. Stengel, a Littleton Republican, has come under intense fire since the News disclosed that he billed the state $99 a day for working while he was vacationing in Hawaii.

Tuesday, five constitutents formally requested an ethics investigation of Stengel’s billing. Last year, he billed a record 240 out of 247 days in the off-session, collecting $23,760 in addition to the $30,000 pay all lawmakers recieve. “I take this job very seriously. I work 24-7,” he told the News. “I worked every day I was in Hawaii.”

In a written statement Tuesday, he said questions about the payments had become “a major distraction, not only for me but for my colleagues as well.” The peoples business deserves the full attention of all members and my staying on as minority leader would only serve as a major distraction,” he said.

He called a Republican caucus later in the day to elect a successor.

The announcement came after lawmakers announced an ethics investigation into campaign contributions solicited by Democratic state Sen. Deanna Hanna, who apologized Monday for asking for a $1,400 campaign contribution as “reparations” from a group that backed her election opponent.

Stengel’s resignation is going to be a big public relations hit for Republicans, but it may also put pressure on Democrats to come down on Sen. Hanna for her “reparations” request, which is something we wrote about yesterday. Stengel’s resignation will look worse to the public, but if Hanna is forced to resign her seat altogether it will open up a seat in November for Republicans that would not ordinarily have been available.

Comments

44 thoughts on “Stengel Resigns as Minority Leader

  1. Joe only completed half of what is required!!!! Now we need his resignation!!!!! Let’s declare the Legislature a “trash free zone”. Joe and Deanna need to move on immediately if not sooner!!

  2. It looks worse for republicans!?  Are you kidding me?  It shows taking the tough medicine while my sleazy educrat senator Hanna is pretending like all is hunky-dory.  Look…politicians do this kind of thing.  Who are we kidding to say that it’s only a few bad apples who should be severely reprimanded?  I vote for people mainly for how well they will advance MY agenda (with the exception of president and maybe governor, who need to have backbone).

  3. Again coldwhatever, Stengel didn’t do anything illegal, Hanna broke the law.  Hanna will be forced out if the Dems want to have any credibility in November.  The question is..
    Can Hanna figure this out all by herself or does Keller and Fitz have to translate this into stupidize for her.

  4. You forget that Republicans didn’t “take the tough medicine” until Democrats did it first. Democrats called the ethics hearing for Hanna, not Republicans. No Republican said one bad thing about Stengel for weeks. Stengel didn’t do anything until he was forced to do it. Democrats called an ethics hearing BEFORE Republicans called for Hanna’s resignation.

  5. And by the way, Mr. Holier than Thou. Republicans never called an ethics committee to look into Stengel. Republicans aren’t about tough medicine.

  6. “Stengel didn’t do anything illegal.”

    Stop making excuses for him. He stole from taxpayers, and if it is proven that he was billing taxpayers for when he was working on Ref. C&D, then he did do something illegal.

  7. Stengel out of leadership?  DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD, THE WITCH IS DEAD, THE WITCH IS DEAD.  DING DONG THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD!!!!!  It my honor to watch his fall, he deserves it.  Maybe now he can get a job with Congressman Tancredo as his SS detail lieutenant.

  8. “Democrats called the ethics hearing for Hanna, not Republicans.”

    ………..

    Um, hello?  As the majority party, only the Democrats CAN call the panel.  As if they had any choice in the matter.

    Further, Hanna was displaying a pretty high level of arrogance “I stand by my request” when this first came to light, and she, too, did nothing until forced to do so.

    If Stengl’s overbilling was so egregious, why then the wink & a nod from the House Leader?

  9. “Maybe now he can get a job with Congressman Tancredo as his SS detail lieutenant.”

    ………..

    Ho, hum.  Just more of the mindless commentary from the Left’s peanut gallery.

  10. House Majority Leader Alice Madden has issued the following statement about Rep. Stengel stepping down as House Minority Leader.

    “Rep. Stengel has represented his district for eight years, six in the majority and two in the minority.  He served as the Chair of the Finance Committee and did an exemplary job.  Being the first Republican Minority Leader in 30 years was a huge challenge.  I hope he can be remembered for his many years of service.”

  11. If Stengel was forced to step down as Minority Leader, ain’t no way Hanna’s going to be able to ride out the storm.  Extortion is a much, much bigger problem.  And when are all those House Democrats going to come clean about who Research & Democracy is, by the way?  It’s simply wrong for them to withhold that info from Colorado citizens.

  12. Dan, I love to sing. check this out: 
    I see a bad a moon rising.
    I feel there’s trouble on the way…
    Hope Stengel has his things together,
    stealing from taxpayers kicked him out today!

    Don’t go around tonight, cause its bound to take your life,

    There’s a bad moon crying on the Right!
    Sorry BMR, Owens, Stengel, and the rest, your reign of terror is at an end!

  13. When all you folks on the left get done patting your backs for getting rid of Stengel, I’d like to point out that you guys are idiots to be celebrating.
    As Marc Holtzman has heard many times over the last year; Joe Stengel is not that conservative. Aside from breaking with the Governor and Democrats over C&D, he is still thought to be pretty middle of the road by most GOP hard core.
    The same can’t be said for the GOP caucus members in the next layer of seniority: May and Schulties are first to come to mind.
    Celebrate away today kids, Stengel is not up for re-election, His seat is pretty safely GOP, and if you thought he was tough, wait until after caucus this afternoon.

  14. Not So Fast,

    Even though I am “on the left” I do NOT celebrate government corruption.  I will leave that to others.

    “he is still thought to be pretty middle of the road by most GOP hard core”

    And that is supposed to mean something?  HA! HA!  Thanks for the update, I feel SOI much better about stingy Stengle!  In fact you are right when you say:

    “I’d like to point out that you guys are idiots to be celebrating”

    Fine.  Lets reinstate him and things will be better for us Dems, what were we thinking anyway! 

    So you are saying that Stengle resigning makes his political chances *better*?  Makes sense to me. Not.

  15. It’s not about Stengel’s ideology. It’s about his unabashed arrogance, his strident tone, and his generally being a complete asshole.

    You can be conservative and not be a condescending pr*ck.

  16. It’s not about Stengel’s ideology. It’s about his unabashed arrogance, his strident tone, and his generally being a complete asshole.

    You can be conservative and not be a condescending pr*ck.

    …………

    Such language!

    So tell us how you feel about Hanna’s arrogance, strident tone, and generally being… well, you get the idea, and besides, I refuse to join you with the gutter language…

  17. Stengel’s seat isn’t that safe.  Citizen soldier Joe Rice, just back from Iraq, is running for it.  Like Mike Coffman, he’s likely to find his service to his country increases his popularity with the voters.

  18. Hannah should resign immediately. I make no excuses for her behavior.

    My language regarding Stengel is mild compared to what his fellow legislators (R’s and D’s) think of him. If you’ve ever had to interact with him you would understand.

  19. Speaking as a liberal who desperately wants the dems to keep control of the legislature, I hope Hanna resigns today, tomorrow at the latest.

    And that she takes full responsibility saying that what she did was totally wrong.

    She’s a gonner anyways, but she doesn’t have to pull the party down with her.

    As to Stengel, I’m of mixed emotions. The part of me that wants an honest leg wants him to resign and take on the responsibility.

    But the democrat in me wants him to stay and run for re-election so he and the republican party can be hit over the head with it in the general election.

    – dave

  20. I’m impressed with Alice Madden’s comments, a true stateswoman.  Anyone care to take a break from the bashing to place bets on who will take Stengel’s place?

  21. I’m impressed with Alice Madden’s comments, a true stateswoman.  Anyone care to take a break from the bashing to place bets on who will take Stengel’s place?

  22. Becky, assistant minority leader Mike May of Parker is already running to succeed stengel and is the favorite, though Al White of Winter Park will probably also try for the post.  Of course, if May wins, they will also need to pick an assistant minority leader to replace him.  GOP caucus meets Friday but may postpone a decision until next week.

  23. According to the Rocky Mtn News, the GOP legislators will select a new minority leader on Friday. Didn’t say what time, but probably around lunchtime, that’s when the caucuses usually meet

  24. With the ethics panel going forward against Stengel, the smart thing for him to do would have been to resign.

    The fact that he’ll remain in office provides the perfect foil against the Hanna campaign, especially if she resigns (she needs to).

    Bottom line: perfect continuum of corruption narrative to tie Colorado Republicans to the national theme. Hanna’s a bump, but if the Dems stay in front of the situation they’ll net positive from the experience. Correctly played, this is a major score for the Blues.

  25. You’ve got to be kidding, burngopburn.  As of now, there are more than a dozen Democrat legislators implicated in actual wrongdoings or ethical breakdowns.  There is one Republican.  A score for the Blue???  C’mon!  The Democrat-controlled Legislature has become a kangaroo legislature!

  26. Wasssssssss … all have a problem, what is the real the conflict … the ’06 election?  Yes, Hanna must resign.  Joe, if he resigns from the house then that sets the stage.  We move to the others’ mandates for reparations … you gave Cranberg $Xk therefore you must give make us whole, etc…  This is the begining of a cluster that is sure to play out past November.  What a way to go.

  27. Wasssssssss … all have a problem, what is the real the conflict … the ’06 election?  Yes, Hanna must resign.  Joe, if he resigns from the house then that sets the stage.  We move to the others’ mandates for reparations … you gave Cranberg $Xk therefore you must give make us whole, etc…  This is the begining of a cluster that is sure to play out past November.  What a way to go.

  28. Alice asked me to make reparations too.  Lets clean house … Stengel, Hanna, Madden, F’gerld and any other arm twister.  Ritter will lay down the law as an xDA and BWB will kill off the bad sperm b/c he can.

  29. Bottom line: perfect continuum of corruption narrative to tie Colorado Republicans to the national theme.

    ……………

    Bwahhahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa  – that’s one of the funniest (as in humorous, as in ‘yer tongue’s firmly planted in yer cheek, isn’t it?’) lines I’ve read on COPols.

    Heee hee ahhahhahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa  keep ’em coming! 

    8^)

  30. Tom Delay; Joe Stengle; Joe Stengle; Tom Delay.  Which is the real face of the face of the Republican Party?

    “Poor” Hanna.  Honestly, it’s hard to feel pity for someone so blatantly stupid.  I kinda doubt she invented the idea of arm-twisting contributions out of sleazy real-estate brokers, but my Zeus, but to commit that kind of idiocy to a paper and sign your name to it is really too much to bear.  Cleanse the Party of people like that and move on.

  31. He will be missed

    Colorado’s House minority leader, Joe Stengel, has resigned his post after pressure from his caucus over his somewhat elastic use of the state legislature’s out-of-session per diem system.Denver Post:Republican state Rep. Joe Stengel resigned his leade…

  32. Again coldwhatever, Stengel didn’t do anything illegal, Hanna broke the law. Hanna will be forced out if the Dems want to have any credibility in November. The question is..
    Can Hanna figure this out all by herself or does Keller and Fitz have to translate this into stupidize for her.

    Hey, Guess Who. Been drinking too much of that kool-aid or just one of Joe Stengel’s butt boys???? Stengel is  trash, an embarrassment to the GOP. Don’t you think it’s about time that you recognize that when you lie down with dogs you get flees. What a fool!!!!!! Hanna is the Dems problem. I’m willing to let them deal with her. My priority is Stengel and the morally devoid Republicans who are willing provide cover for a joke like him. Perhaps its time you break off and form your own party….called the immoral unethical braindead redneck party (IUBR)!!

  33. Bottom line: perfect continuum of corruption narrative to tie Colorado Republicans to the national theme.

    ……………

    Bwahhahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa – that’s one of the funniest (as in humorous, as in ‘yer tongue’s firmly planted in yer cheek, isn’t it?’) lines I’ve read on COPols.

    Heee hee ahhahhahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa keep ’em coming!

    ______________________

    BMR: Keep talking, buddy. I will enjoy watching you eat these mindless words over the coming months.

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