The Colorado Justice Department has cleared the way for a pair of independent investigations to proceed into judicial misconduct allegations and a cover-up at the highest levels of the state’s court system, nearly 10 months after the Denver Post first reported the scandal. Gave.
According to a news release, state officials finalized the contracts for investigation by a pair of Denver law firms on October 12 and Monday.
Chief Justice Brian Boatwright said the investigation into both cases would begin immediately. “We expect this process to last several months and provide timely updates as often as possible.”
One firm, Investigation Law Group, will investigate claims of widespread workplace harassment and sexism in the judiciary. Separately, RCT Ltd., led by former US Attorney Bob Troyer, will investigate an allegation that top judicial officials tried to use a $2.5 million contract to prevent a former employee from speaking out about that misconduct.
Former state court administrator Christopher Ryan alleged earlier this year that the employee, now former Judicial Department Chief of Staff Mindy Masias, was facing dismissal for financial irregularities when she accused judges and judges in a lawsuit. Threatened to expose misconduct by officials.
At the time, high-ranking judicial officers—including now-retired state Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan “Ben” Coates—agreed to offer Masia a $2.5 million, five-year training contract to buy her silence, Ryan said. Claimed. Judicial officials initially denied any wrongdoing, but then vowed to conduct a thorough investigation.
Masias was set to make a public allegation of sexual misconduct, in which a judge sent an obscene email to his work account and another “rubbed his hairy chest” on a female employee’s back, according to a memo written in 2018. .
This spring, several women working in the court system told The Post that Masia’s allegations were indicative of a pervasively toxic culture for women within the judiciary. In April, the Justice Department set aside $350,000 to pay for an independent investigation.
The contracts were announced in August as going to RCT Ltd. and Investigation Law Group, but were not immediately finalized.
The law firms’ investigations are two of at least six investigations launched this year into the circumstances surrounding the contract. The FBI, Office of the State Auditors, Attorney Regulation Council and Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline are also under investigation.
