A federal judge dismissed a whistleblower complaint Tuesday accusing the Colorado government and judicial officials of coordinating their efforts to cover up a 2019 bribery scheme.
In dismissing the case, Senior U.S. District Judge Kathryn Vratil of the District of Kansas wrote in a 29-page opinion that the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline and the Colorado Judicial Discipline Rulemaking Committee are arms of the state and therefore entitled to sovereign immunity.
Christopher Gregory, the former executive director of the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline, has filed two state lawsuits and two federal complaints looking to hold state court officials accountable for conduct that he said erodes trust in the courts, according to a story by Courthouse News Service.
Gregory has alleged that Mindy Masias, a former chief of staff at the Colorado State Court Administrator’s Office, was facing termination after state auditors found that Masias and another official had been collecting speaking and consulting fees while on state time.
In addition, he alleges that state auditors found that officials were trying to get Masias a five-year contract worth more than $2 million for training services as she was leaving her role to prevent a discrimination suit. The contract was later canceled after media reporting.
Gregory said he was removed from his position after trying to hold the Colorado Supreme Court justices accountable for hiding their plan from the public and...
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