The Boulder County Democratic Party’s executive committee issued a statement expressing that it is “deeply concerned” over allegations that state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis mistreated legislative aides and failed to report the use of campaign funds.
“We wholeheartedly trust the process of legislative leadership in this matter,” the party’s representatives said in a statement on Facebook on Dec. 12. “At the same time, we support the dedicated service of legislative aides, and hold fair and professional treatment of all workers as a core value of our party.”
The Longmont senator has been accused by several former legislative aides of fostering a toxic work environment, withholding wages, and isolating employees from colleagues, according to CPR reporting in April 2024. More recently, other aides alleged she required them to perform personal tasks, such as landscaping and bartending, paid for with campaign funds that were not reported as required by state law until after media coverage, according to the Colorado Sun.
The Boulder County Democrats’ statement follows mounting criticism, including calls for her resignation from the Political Workers Guild, a group representing aides at the Colorado Capitol. Earlier this month, Senate leadership, including outgoing Senate President Steve Fenberg of Boulder, barred Jaquez Lewis from employing state-paid aides.
Jaquez Lewis, reelected to a four-year term in November after running unopposed, described the failure to report campaign spending as an oversight. She also said she wishes her aides well, according to media reports. Her district includes Longmont, Erie and Lafayette.