Schaffer fails to sign ethics pledge as new allegations surface around his donor
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Schaffer fails to sign ethics pledge as new allegations surface around his donor:
Other members already sign onto Ethics Pledge
For Immediate Release
Monday, August 20, 2007
Contact: Michael Huttner
(303) 931-4547
Denver: New allegations surfaced recently about Colorado Board of Education Member Bob Schaffer's Senate campaign contributions from David Brennan, whose company had business in front of the SBOE. Schaffer has been asked to sign a conflicts of ethics pledge that he proposed but has yet to join his colleagues in signing.
Last week, Schaffer's campaign contributor's company was reprimanded by the State Auditor for "abusive business practices." The audit found that White Hat's charter school board members were paid "multiple stipends for the same meeting if their school was discussed." (Akron-Beacon Journal, 8-17-07)
"The abusive business practices employed by Schaffer's donor are the tip of the iceberg in the damage his management does at the expense of tax payer dollars," stated Michael Huttner, Executive Director of ProgressNowAction.
Bob Schaffer cast the deciding vote at the Board of Education to force Denver Public Schools to re-evaluate their cancellation of the White Hat contract.
Earlier this month, ProgressNowAction held a press conference outside the Colorado State Board of Education Meeting calling for each of its Members to take a Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure pledge.
The call followed the delivery of a petition, signed by hundreds of Coloradans to the SBOE calling for Member Bob Schaffer to immediately return campaign contributions he received from Brennan.
Board of Education Members Karen Middleton and Evie Hudak have signed the Conflict of Interest Pledge, but Schaffer has yet to do so.
Schaffer took money from Brennan both before and after the vote to renew a contract with is company. Schaffer still has not disclosed to the State Board that since this recent vote he has taken thousands of dollars more in campaign contributions from Brennan within weeks of his vote for Brennan's company. (FEC, Schaffer Itemized Receipts, pg. 53 and 75/186) Schaffer failed to disclose to the State Board during the vote that he has taken campaign contributions from Brennan going back to June 15, 2004. (www.opensecrets.org )
Schaffer charged with drafting a conflicts policy but never pursued it:
In the December 10, 2006, Schaffer lectured his fellow Board Members on the need for disclosure of political contributions to members of the SBOE.(SBOE Recorded Minutes 12/10/2006, 2:47:10) Schaffer pontificated "Government grant making as the most corrupt aspect of civil government in America."
SBOE Member Karen Middleton called on Schaffer to pursue a "written conflict of interest policy" for the members of the SBOE. (SBOE Recorded Minutes 12/10/2006, 2:44:05)
Schaffer, while agreeing to take the lead on drafting a policy over eight months ago, has yet to introduce a SBOE Conflicts-of-Interest Disclosure Policy.
"Schaffer is a complete hypocrite when it comes to corruption," stated Huttner. "We demand that Schaffer stop lecturing his fellow Board Members about corruption, return the money he took, and sign a conflict of interest disclosure pledge to end his hypocrisy today."
ProgressNowAction will share the status of each member's pledge at www.progressnowaction.org
# # #
Conflicts-of-Interest Disclosure Pledge for each Member
of the Colorado State Board of Education
I, __________________________, pledge to the People of
(the name of the SBOE member)
________________________________________
(office/jurisdiction that SBOE Member represents),
that I will fully disclose all political contributions made to me in the past four years from a Board member or officer of any company that has an appeal before me as a Member of the State Board of Education or a contract with the State Department of Education.
Other members already sign onto Ethics Pledge
For Immediate Release
Monday, August 20, 2007
Contact: Michael Huttner
(303) 931-4547
Denver: New allegations surfaced recently about Colorado Board of Education Member Bob Schaffer's Senate campaign contributions from David Brennan, whose company had business in front of the SBOE. Schaffer has been asked to sign a conflicts of ethics pledge that he proposed but has yet to join his colleagues in signing.
Last week, Schaffer's campaign contributor's company was reprimanded by the State Auditor for "abusive business practices." The audit found that White Hat's charter school board members were paid "multiple stipends for the same meeting if their school was discussed." (Akron-Beacon Journal, 8-17-07)
"The abusive business practices employed by Schaffer's donor are the tip of the iceberg in the damage his management does at the expense of tax payer dollars," stated Michael Huttner, Executive Director of ProgressNowAction.
Bob Schaffer cast the deciding vote at the Board of Education to force Denver Public Schools to re-evaluate their cancellation of the White Hat contract.
Earlier this month, ProgressNowAction held a press conference outside the Colorado State Board of Education Meeting calling for each of its Members to take a Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure pledge.
The call followed the delivery of a petition, signed by hundreds of Coloradans to the SBOE calling for Member Bob Schaffer to immediately return campaign contributions he received from Brennan.
Board of Education Members Karen Middleton and Evie Hudak have signed the Conflict of Interest Pledge, but Schaffer has yet to do so.
Schaffer took money from Brennan both before and after the vote to renew a contract with is company. Schaffer still has not disclosed to the State Board that since this recent vote he has taken thousands of dollars more in campaign contributions from Brennan within weeks of his vote for Brennan's company. (FEC, Schaffer Itemized Receipts, pg. 53 and 75/186) Schaffer failed to disclose to the State Board during the vote that he has taken campaign contributions from Brennan going back to June 15, 2004. (www.opensecrets.org )
Schaffer charged with drafting a conflicts policy but never pursued it:
In the December 10, 2006, Schaffer lectured his fellow Board Members on the need for disclosure of political contributions to members of the SBOE.(SBOE Recorded Minutes 12/10/2006, 2:47:10) Schaffer pontificated "Government grant making as the most corrupt aspect of civil government in America."
SBOE Member Karen Middleton called on Schaffer to pursue a "written conflict of interest policy" for the members of the SBOE. (SBOE Recorded Minutes 12/10/2006, 2:44:05)
Schaffer, while agreeing to take the lead on drafting a policy over eight months ago, has yet to introduce a SBOE Conflicts-of-Interest Disclosure Policy.
"Schaffer is a complete hypocrite when it comes to corruption," stated Huttner. "We demand that Schaffer stop lecturing his fellow Board Members about corruption, return the money he took, and sign a conflict of interest disclosure pledge to end his hypocrisy today."
ProgressNowAction will share the status of each member's pledge at www.progressnowaction.org
# # #
Conflicts-of-Interest Disclosure Pledge for each Member
of the Colorado State Board of Education
I, __________________________, pledge to the People of
(the name of the SBOE member)
________________________________________
(office/jurisdiction that SBOE Member represents),
that I will fully disclose all political contributions made to me in the past four years from a Board member or officer of any company that has an appeal before me as a Member of the State Board of Education or a contract with the State Department of Education.
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