Subject: Scott Gessler: "I don't care what ProgressNow thinks"
From: "Alan Franklin, ProgressNow Colorado" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:49:30 -0600 (CST)

ProgressNow Colorado

Friends,

For the last few days, I've been telling you about
recently-disclosed plans by Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler
to work
part time for his old law firm, a firm that specializes in
representing right
wing political groups and candidates. On Saturday, ProgressNow
Colorado called
for Gessler to either abandon this irresponsible plan, fraught with
the
potential for conflicts of interest and abuse of power--or resign from
office.
Since then, almost 4,000 Coloradans have signed our petition.

http://progressnowcolorado.pnstate.org/site/R?i=PQCHeM6uznpzu_tEYHGanA..

Gessler told the press over the weekend, "I don't care
what
ProgressNow thinks." He doesn't realize that he's
actually disregarding
thousands of Colorado taxpayers and voters across the state of all
political
persuasions who have expressed their outrage at his decision.
He's disregarding you. But for good measure, today
newspapers across the state also weighed in, condemning
Gessler's decision in
the strongest terms.

The Denver Post: "One of our concerns about Gessler, a
Republican, was his fervent advocacy on behalf of partisan election
causes and
whether he would be able to separate himself from those causes when
necessary.
Gessler assured us that once elected, he would consider the state of
Colorado
to be his client and would advocate on behalf of the state. But now,
apparently, the secretary needs other clients to make ends meet on his
state
salary of $68,500."

The Grand Junction
Sentinel: "[T]he most disturbing thing about Gessler's
plans to work up to 20
hours a month with his old law firm is the nature of that firm's
business...He
has said he won't be involved in any legal cases related to the
secretary of
state's office. But groups like Progress
Now and Colorado Common Cause are right when they say there will
certainly be
potential for conflict of interest, and almost assuredly a perception
that
conflict exists."

Denver Post columnist
Mike Littwin: "You may not have been
paying attention to the secretary of state race last year - I
know I wasn't -
but there were apparently questions during the campaign about whether
Gessler,
who's known for his work supporting conservative election issues,
could
separate himself from his advocacy work. But no one even thought to
ask if he
could separate himself from his actual job."

It's not too late! If you haven't yet signed our petition
demanding that Secretary of State Gessler either give up his plan to
moonlight
for his old law firm or resign, please take a moment to do so right
away! If
you've already signed, please forward this email to everyone you
know who cares
about integrity in Colorado's elected officials.

http://progressnowcolorado.pnstate.org/site/R?i=iCFee07okRDrX1xzrKEQdQ..

http://progressnowcolorado.pnstate.org/site/R?i=_fOR94N6efIzv4qC_hJVUA..

We will deliver your names and comments to Gessler's office,
his peers in Colorado government, and the media very soon. Once again,
thank
you for demanding better than this sorry spectacle from our highest
officeholders. It's making a
difference.

Sincerely,

Alan Franklin

1. Denver Post, Editorial: Gessler needs to clear up conflict
http://progressnowcolorado.pnstate.org/site/R?i=Sa8byo8X67qJGjmAIpu3IA..
2. Grand Junction Sentinel, Moonlighting as secretary of state
(subscription required)
http://progressnowcolorado.pnstate.org/site/R?i=fmSrTVXDBb19iJrpQC1f0w..
3. Mike Littwin, Denver Post, Musings on moonlighting
http://progressnowcolorado.pnstate.org/site/R?i=FI7-A4-1oR_CI8H8xHMMWg..

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