Sonya Jaquez Lewis, a former state senator from Longmont, has been charged with attempting to influence a public servant, a felony offense, as part of ongoing legal troubles following her resignation earlier this year amid an ethics investigation.
The Denver District Attorney’s Office filed the charge against Jaquez Lewis on July 6, as indicated in court records. The charge remains relatively under the radar, as prosecutors did not issue a public announcement or news release regarding the case, which was first highlighted by Colorado Politics on Monday.
This charge falls under the category of Class 4 felony, which carries a potential penalty of up to six years in prison and a fine of $500,000.
According to court documents, Jaquez Lewis is alleged to have committed the offense between January 31 and February 11, prior to her resignation from the legislature on February 18. Details regarding the case were sparse as of Monday night, with a spokesperson for the Denver District Attorney’s Office stating that more information would be available on Tuesday.
Scheduled to appear in court on August 7 for an arraignment, Jaquez Lewis faces serious consequences if convicted.
Jaquez Lewis stepped down from the legislature amid serious allegations concerning the maltreatment of her aides in the Capitol. Resigning came as the Senate Ethics Committee was actively investigating claims against her, which included a troubling allegation that Jaquez Lewis had submitted at least one fabricated letter of support to the committee, purportedly from a former aide.
Legislative investigators interviewed the aide named in the letter, who confirmed that she had neither written it nor communicated with Jaquez Lewis for about a year prior to the letter being sent.
When confronted with the evidence, Jaquez Lewis claimed that she was merely sharing information gathered through past conversations with the aide. However, the letter, presented on official letterhead featuring the aide’s name, was written in the first person and praised Jaquez Lewis heavily, stating, “She was a terrific boss. I would tell anyone to work with Sen. Jaquez Lewis anytime and anywhere.”
In response to the mounting evidence, Jaquez Lewis told the Sun that the submission of the letter was an accident and that she attempted to have it removed from the public record. However, she refrained from answering questions on whether she had authored the letter or any other letters submitted to the Ethics Committee.
Jaquez Lewis provided multiple letters of support to the Senate Ethics Committee, all claiming to be from former aides. However, nonpartisan legislative staff expressed doubts about the authenticity of these letters, stating they could not verify their legitimacy.
Alongside the ongoing ethics investigation, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office has begun an examination of Jaquez Lewis’ campaign finance practices. This inquiry was prompted by a complaint lodged against her earlier this year, which drew attention following reports by The Sun.
Efforts by Jaquez Lewis to rectify the alleged violations highlighted in the complaint, such as not reporting expenditures and misusing campaign funds, were deemed insufficient by state election officials, who stated her campaign “failed to substantially comply with its legal obligations.”
Consequently, the Secretary of State’s Office could either escalate the matter by filing a complaint with a hearing officer—which may result in fines or sanctions—or dismiss the case entirely.
Several former aides of Jaquez Lewis have come forth over the last 18 months, recounting experiences of alleged mistreatment while working under her. In fact, two aides who worked in her office last year filed a workplace misconduct complaint against her, alleging that she forced one of them to perform personal tasks such as yard work and bartending at one of her home parties.
The aide involved recounted his fears that refusing to do these tasks might jeopardize his chances of being promoted from his intern role during the 2024 legislative session. He did receive a promotion after engaging in these extra duties, but the promotion was rescinded in November, along with his termination from the position.
By early 2024, Jaquez Lewis faced additional repercussions, such as being removed from her position as chair of the Senate Local Government and Housing Committee and being barred from sponsoring a wage theft bill. These actions followed a series of allegations that she had failed to compensate one of her aides adequately.
In a report by Colorado Public Radio, four of Jaquez Lewis’ former staff members described a range of complaints, stating she had withheld wages, imposed overly demanding work schedules, and sought to restrict their communication with others within the Democratic political landscape.
These individuals, along with a former campaign manager, approached the Political Workers Guild to file an ethics complaint against Jaquez Lewis. The testimonies shared with CPR did not involve those who had previously lodged the workplace misconduct grievance reported by The Sun.
In light of the repeated claims against her, Democratic leadership in the Senate took action by removing Jaquez Lewis’ access to state-paid legislative aides and stripping her committee assignments.
In response to the ethics complaint filed by former aides and a campaign manager, Jaquez Lewis maintained that the allegations were a targeted effort by staffers at the Colorado Capitol to gain collective bargaining power.
“It is no more than a compilation of incidents unsupported by actual facts,” she stated in her formal response to the complaint. “I am being dragged through the mud for political ends. With false allegations, the PWG is using me to showcase its concerns.”
image source from：coloradosun
