Colorado ethics committee recommends reprimand of Rep. Mandy Lindsay over ethics violation

The House Ethics Committee voted Friday to recommend that Rep. Mandy Lindsay be reprimanded over her mismanagement of Democratic caucus money, asked to step down as caucus co-chair and removed from most of her leadership and committee assignments.

“Ethical violations are a large umbrella of possibilities, and I believe that what we observed and heard here fits the description of an ethical violation,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, a Longmont Democrat who chaired the committee.

Lindsay, an Aurora Democrat, faced accusations earlier this year from fellow Democrat Rep. Bob Marshall of Highlands Ranch that she mishandled money in the caucus bank account while she served as co-chair. Those missteps included a personal reimbursement of over $6,000 for a charge already handled by the caucus credit card, accidental use of the caucus card for a personal expense and reimbursement of her own caucus dues.

During her defense over the complaint, Lindsay said she regularly used her own money for caucus purchases, and that large reimbursement — despite not covering what she originally wrote it for — was valid because it was a partial compensation for all those historical expenses. She admitted to messy bookkeeping of the caucus money.

But Rep. Steven Woodrow, a Denver Democrat, said Lindsay “used such poor bookkeeping that to this day, I don’t think anyone on this committee could state with confidence who owes who.” Committee members agreed that her behavior eroded public trust and trust between her colleagues in the House.

The ethics committee is also recommending that House leadership develop best practices for how party caucus chairs track spending, seek reimbursements and communicate with colleagues about the financial management.

Lindsay did not return a request for comment Friday. She is not returning to the House next legislative session, after she lost the Democratic primary for the seat this year.