DENVER – Colorado State Representative Edie Hooton used her official state legislative email address to send out an invitation and fundraising appeal for Congressman Jared Polis yesterday. The email invited recipients to a fundraiser at her home to benefit the gubernatorial campaign of Jared Polis and asked those who couldn’t attend to donate to Polis’ campaign.

Using the same email account she uses for official state business to solicit partisan political funds is unbecoming at best. Rep. Hooton sent the email to politicos and lobbyists who must, in turn, advocate for their issues and clients to her, and who could easily get the misimpression of a quid-pro-quo.

“The reason that most Colorado legislators keep different email accounts for official legislative business and their partisan activities is to prevent the appearance of pay-for-play,” said Kelly Maher, executive director of Compass Colorado. “Apparently, Rep. Hooton doesn’t care about the optics of asking for political money from lobbyists from the same account to which the same lobbyists must ask for her support of their issues.”

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