GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Republican state Sen. Steve King is facing three felony charges alleging he falsified time cards and defrauded two former employers out of thousands of dollars.
King, a longtime resident of western Colorado’s Grand Valley, was issued a summons Wednesday on felony counts of embezzlement of public property, forgery and theft. He also was charged with misdemeanor counts of forgery and official misconduct.
The complaint alleges King defrauded the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office and Colorado Mesa University of $2,000 to $5,000 between July 2013 and December. The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported Wednesday that no affidavit explaining the basis for the charges was filed.
The Associated Press left a message at King’s office after business hours seeking comment.
The Denver Post reported King’s troubles began when he was fired from his part-time job at the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office because he was accused of falsifying time cards. He had been an investigator with the department before he was elected to the Legislature in 2006 and had continued to work there part-time while he was a senator.
King was running for Mesa County sheriff at the time he was fired but dropped out of the race July 16 when the investigation of his finances broadened to include campaign finance issues and expense reports. He also worked at Colorado Mesa University as a security coordinator.
Wednesday’s charges were filed by Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler, who took over the investigation earlier this month to avoid a conflict of interest with agencies in Mesa County or with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which is now headed by King’s former boss.
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