Embattled Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis has resigned from the Colorado Senate, just days before an ethics committee was set to decide whether to pursue a formal investigation into her treatment of aides.
Jaquez Lewis, a Longmont Democrat, posted the announcement on her official Facebook page about 5:45 a.m. after notifying the top Senate leader Monday night. As the reason for her resignation, she cited an opportunity to serve with a regional not-for-profit that develops women and LGBTQ+ people as leaders. Her announcement did not mention the ethics investigation.
Serving as an elected official “has been the honor of a lifetime,” Jaquez Lewis wrote. “I have been in the General Assembly for 7 years. During that time, I have served my constituents with pride and productivity. I have passed an enormous amount of legislation and policy that hopefully benefits every citizen of Colorado and some have become national benchmarks.”
Jaquez Lewis had faced escalating reprimands for her alleged mistreatment of legislative aides. Last year, Senate leadership quietly removed her as the chair of a senate committee — a powerful position for steering legislation through the chamber — over repeated complaints about her behavior toward aides and staff.
She would then be removed as a sponsor of a bill aimed at combatting wage theft over accusations she refused to sign off on paying her own aide.
She lost state funding for aides ahead of this legislative session, following allegations that she used aides to do chores around her house and to bartend at a political fundraiser. Senate leadership wrote in a letter about the decision that her treatment of staff is “now clearly a recurring issue that we have tried to address with you.”
Senate President James Coleman would also strip her of all committee assignments — essentially sidelining her from key senate duties — ahead of the current legislative session.
Coleman formed an ethics committee to look into the allegations against Jaquez Lewis. It is still early in its work. It faced a Thursday deadline to decide if there was probable cause for a formal investigation or if the matter should be dropped.
In a statement Tuesday, Coleman said Jaquez Lewis “has dedicated years of service to the Colorado legislature and has made significant contributions to our state.”
He added: “As public officials, we must always lead by example with honesty and integrity. It is important for all of us to uphold and maintain the public’s trust. Senator Jaquez Lewis’ resignation allows us to move forward as a team focused on our goal of making Colorado the best place to live and raise a family — without distraction.”
Last week, the ethics committee’s members had expressed skepticism about Jaquez Lewis’ response to the complaints in their first public remarks on the matter.
Jaquez Lewis had denied all wrongdoing and said she was being scapegoated by the Political Workers Guild, the union for aides, in its fight for collective bargaining. Jaquez Lewis did not say Tuesday when her resignation would take effect. She was reelected in November. A Democratic vacancy committee will fill her seat.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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