Despite urging by the Secretary of State for immediate action, a petition for a court order that would compel Colorado Springs resident Douglas Bruce to appear at a deposition in connection with three campaign finance complaints is languishing in a Denver district courtroom.
After District Judge Morris Hoffman recused himself, the request was subsequently assigned to Judge Brian Whitney, a court clerk said. A spokesman in Judge Whitney’s office said this morning that no action has yet been taken on the petition.
The petition was filed late Friday by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, which represents the Secretary of State Bernie Buescher. The AG said the matter required “immediate attention and disposition” by the court because of Bruce’s “repeated refusals” to comply with lawfully issued subpoenas.
The three finance complaints were filed against the proponents of three issues that will be on the November ballot. Known as Amendment 60, Amendment 61, and Proposition 101, the ballot issues would collectively reduce the income of state and local governments by $2 billion, critics allege.
Among other things, the measures would roll back the state income tax, cut the school mill levy rate, prohibit the state from borrowing, and eliminate taxes and fees related to motor vehicles and telecommunication accounts.
Professional petition circulators gathered thousands of signatures needed to get the measures on the ballot. Secretary of State records show that eight of those circulators lived in an apartment house owned by Colorado Springs resident Douglas Bruce.
Bruce is the author of the 1992 Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, which limits the taxing and spending ability of local and state governments. He also authored Issue 300, which effectively eliminated the city’s stormwater enterprise, and will cost the city millions of dollars in the coming years.
The circulators living in his house collected a total of roughly 75,000 signatures for the three statewide measures. Some of those same petition circulators also helped gather the signatures that put Issue 300 on the ballot, records show.
The circulators living in the Bruce-owned apartment have moved out. Two of them, contacted by cell phone, refused to discuss their work in Colorado.
The campaign finance complaints allege the proponents of the measures should have formed issues committees and reported the expenditures and contributions involved in the massive-signature gathering effort.
Any reason to stall, Mr Bruce? Aside from your natural argumentative nature, why conceal your involvement? You’ve swept it under the rug about a year now but it’s not going away. Stall until after the November vote count, maybe, hoping it’ll become a non-issue?
Was it illegal for the petitioners to stay in Bruces house ,( IF THEY DID)? and why? I look at this as just harassment toward Bruce and the fact that the people will vote for NO TAX HIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOVERNMENT can’t handle a budget———————-USOC————–BAD -BAD-BAD—Mayor!—————-Mayor tell us again why the DEVELOPERS, aren’t Paying for SDS?
Taxes are NOT going to the USOC, it’s investor money. Do you demand a say when your bank writes real estate loans, claiming they are stealing money out of your check account?
Step away the Kool-Aid.
People with something to hide do not want to draw attention to themselves. Ask yourself how often Bruce panders to the press and local government in the past.
Why is he laying low this time?
The frequency of coverups started to increase when he went to the State House. Each gaffe and coverup eroded his standing among his sychophants. The stalling and implied duplicity here can’t help 60, 61 and 101′s cause.
Timeline:
Early March: DB warns Ewellsome to stop calling, cease emailing, quit the questions regarding his overall petition activities. Eileen was asking about paid petitioners who included City issue 300 clipboards with state issues 60, 61 and 101.
“I have other plans for the city, but that will be unveiled this summer.” March 24, said to G reporter D. Chacon
May 5, DB dodges a court order to appear in court.. 29 subsequent attempts to serve Summons come up empty
May 7, DB records voicemail to Chacon.
Week of May 24, blogger and Bruce apologist ‘bnoz01′ claims he’s hanging around his condo east of Powers.
June 1, DB tells the Denver Post he was out of the country.
Oh, he’s been running, but not for mayor, not for fitness – he’s looking for places to hide. Pray that his flabby body tolerates the stress of ‘running’. The Secy of State beat him to whatever glorious announcement he planned ‘this summer’. We all need to remind him that real representatives of us citizens are term-limited. Door needs to swing both ways.
I don’t have a dog in this fight, but apparently ‘notsofast’ seems to, or at least it’s a love-hate relationship with Mr. Bruce? He expresses a certain ‘familiarity’ with Mr. Bruce’s physical condition that only a love interest would have. Ad hominem attacks speak more to the orator’s integrity than anything of substance.
There’s always two sides to a story. Just because a magistrate (aka ‘judge?) requests an appearance doesn’t mean it’s ‘lawful’ as stated: “by the court because of Bruce’s “repeated refusals” to comply with lawfully issued subpoenas.” First one must be ‘served’. IF that does not happen, then there is no notice, thus the ‘lawfully issued subpoenas’ fall on their face. Also, does the judge have jurisdiction?
So, you see there are several points (other than innuendo) that have not been adequately covered here. Perhaps they should?
Ron,
Anyone can observe DB’s physical presence in movie clips and press photography. No one needs ‘familiarity’ with the subject to conclude he’s far from fit. I do not appreciate your prurience.
your implication of “a love interest” is, in itself an ad hominem attack.