by Robert Davis
The line between the City of Denver and its lobbying community got much thinner after Roger Sherman, a managing partner at CRL Associates, was appointed to the Citizen Oversight Board (COB) by a 9-3 vote by City Council.
Denverite first reported that Sherman, who worked behind the scenes on the sale of the Park Hill Golf Club and the NO on 300 campaign, was Council’s first choice for the appointment.
“We have 700,000 people who live in Denver, and another 300,000 people come to Denver every business day — totaling one million people,” newly elected District 10 Councilman Chris Hinds told the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle in an emailed statement. “It is difficult to believe that the “one in a million” choice from City Council is the managing partner of the largest lobbying firm for the city.”
Members of COB are first nominated by the Mayor and then confirmed by City Council. Sherman’s appointment came just two days after Mayor Michael Hancock won re-election.
According to records from the Denver Elections Division, CRL made generous campaign contributions during the 2019 municipal elections. In total, CRL contributed nearly $4,000 to Mayor Michael Hancock’s re-election campaign, while doling out contributions to City Council candidates as well.
Sherman personally donated $250 to District 2 representative Kevin Flynn, and the firm’s Chief Strategy Officer Kim Kucera donated the same amount to Albus Brooks’ campaign against Candi CdeBaca in District 9. Councilwoman Robin Kniech received $2,000 from CRL’s founding partner Maria Garcia Berry in December 2018 and received the same amount again in February 2019 from the firm itself.
During the City Council meeting, Kniech underscored Sherman’s qualification, experience, and “strong voice” for police accountability as her reasons for supporting his nomination.
“[Sherman] not only has experience working with COB, but also has a track record of coming to City Council and advocating for stronger oversight of the police department,” Kniech said. “So, for those who have said they’re afraid this appointment might be too favorable to the Mayor’s Office, there is simply no evidence of that.”
COB assesses the effectiveness of the Monitor’s Office and has the authority to appoint people to the Office of the Independent Monitor, which oversees the police department. Even so, COB neither advises the mayor’s office nor oversees any functions of the police department. It is simply a screening body, according to Kniech.
Three of the newly elected Council members voted against the appointment, including Hinds, CdeBaca, and Amanda Sawyer (District 5).
CdeBaca attempted to have Sherman’s appointment delayed until August 5 in order to allow time for a public hearing. Other members were less concerned with hearing public comments, citing an adopted resolution from earlier in 2019 introduced by Councilmembers Kniech, Paul Lopez, and Paul Kashmann, which “strengthened the purview of COB”, according to Kashmann. The resolution increased the number of board members from seven to nine.
“I don’t think this is an issue or question of qualifications,” CdeBaca said. “I think this is an issue of consolidated power. Sherman is a well-known member of CRL and has recently led the opposition to [Initiative] 300, where there have been numerous police violations. Now, we’re selecting someone to nominate people and oversee that entity.”
CdeBaca cited a recent Colorado Public Radio article that details the close relationship between Denver’s Big 3 lobbying firms and the city government. In total, the Big 3 have done over $1 billion in city work in Hancock’s previous two terms as mayor and have acted as a revolving door linking the Mayor’s office and the lobbying community.
“With the contacts that Mr. Sherman has, I am doubtful that he would be nominating or screening the appropriate people for this role,” CdeBaca said. “We should be nominating people with direct connections to the community who demanded this role and this board.”