In this file photo, former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown, at the time the outgoing president of the university of Colorado, talks to reporters on Feb. 20, 2008.
Former Democratic state Rep. Kathleen Curry, who left her party and registered unaffiliated in 2009, is now part of an endeavor to move beyond partisanship in politics. (Photo via unitecolorado.org)
In this file photo, former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown, at the time the outgoing president of the university of Colorado, talks to reporters on Feb. 20, 2008.
Former Democratic state Rep. Kathleen Curry, who left her party and registered unaffiliated in 2009, is now part of an endeavor to move beyond partisanship in politics. (Photo via unitecolorado.org)
Thirty-Five Years Ago This Week: Adams County Republican Party activist Hal Shroyer came out swinging against three Democratic U.S. Senate candidates over their public demands that Republican Senate candidate U.S. Rep. Hank Brown, of Congressional District 4, return funds raised from Denver developer Larry Mizel.
Mizel had served as dinner chairman for a fundraising luncheon in early December, which netted nearly $500,000 toward Brown’s campaign. Challengers Josie Heath, Carlos Lucero and Buie Seawell had all called attention to Mizel’s stretch connection with the Silverado Banking Corporation failure, whose 1988 collapse cost taxpayers and estimated $1 billion.
Mizel was reported to own 31% of MDC Holdings and also an interest in Omni Banks.
“Democrats Seawell and Lucero are lawyers, and they should know that a corporation — MDC Holdings — was involved with the Silverado fiasco,” Shroyer wrote. “But neither Silverado or MDC Holdings ever gave a dime to Hank Brown.”
Shroyer cited Colorado Secretary of State filings, showing that MDC Holdings had donated $5,000 to then gubernatorial candidate Roy Romer in 1986. Silverado Banking Corporation also donated a total of $15,900 to the Romer Campaign.
“Senator Tim Worth accepted $500 and $750 from Mizel in his Congressional campaigns and deposited his Senate campaign funds in Omni Bank,” Shroyer wrote. “Wirth’s Senate campaign also had a loan from Omni Bank in 1988.”
So it served no purpose to call out Brown, Shroyer argued, and not demand the same repayment from Wirth and Romer.
“Does the Seawell-Lucero-Heath Senate hopefuls group infer that Romer should return to the campaign donations?” Shroyer asked. “I take it as an insult to Governor Romer that he could be bribed by a campaign contribution. The contributions were legal.”
Shroyer also argued that Mizel had yet to be indicted by any court nor accused of any crime.
“I knew the three Democratic candidates were having a hard time finding issues against Hank Brown,” Shroyer wrote, “but I didn’t realize that there campaigns were in such pathetic shape.”
Fifteen Years Ago: With the scribble of a pen, state Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-61, became Colorado’s only independent legislator.
Curry had filed the necessary paperwork at the Gunnison County courthouse and then informed both Gov. Bill Ritter and House Speaker Terrance Carroll, D-Denver.
“Terrance wasn’t happy about it,” Curry said. “but he was respectful. He has always been respectful to me.”
Curry told The Colorado Statesman that the decision wasn’t one she look lightly and that for an extended period of time she’d felt torn between being loyal to Democratic leadership and accurately and honestly representing her constituents. More than 43% of House District 61 voters, which included portions of Eagle, Gunnison, Pitkin, Hinsdale and Garfield counties, were registered as unaffiliated.
“I have to vote my conscience and for my district,” Curry said, “and that isn’t always in step with party leadership. I’m really not a partisan person.”
Curry served as both speaker pro tempore and chair of the House Agriculture Committee. When she informed Carroll of her decision, he suggested that she remain a Democrat but resign her leadership roles to alleviate the pressure.
“His suggestions were great alternatives,” Curry said, “but I’d already filled out the paperwork.”
A self-described independent thinker, though for 30 years a registered Democrat, Curry had been on the receiving end of sharp criticism from her party during the 2009 legislative session when the “Long Bill” was up for debate. Curry proposed several amendments, including an across-the-board budget cut, all of which were rejected.
“Kathleen Curry is a sharp, sharp person, said Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs. “I don’t think this was an impulsive decision.”
Rachael Wright is the author of several novels including The Twins of Strathnaver, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Colorado Springs Gazette.
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