In a story that received little coverage in mid-February 2025, State Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis (D-CO) unexpectedly took to Facebook to declare her departure from the Colorado legislature to pursue a new opportunity; however, she omitted the fact that she had recently been discovered fabricating a letter in a desperate effort to evade an ethics investigation that threatened her position.
To provide context, Lewis announced her resignation just before the Colorado Senate Ethics Committee revealed, as part of its investigation into her treatment of staff, that she had submitted at least one, and possibly several, forged letters of support. The specific letter in question was allegedly from an aide endorsing her, but the aide informed legislators that she had not authored it and that Lewis had likely fabricated it.
Even in the absence of the letter, the ethics investigation was reportedly poised to lead to Lewis’s downfall, as numerous years of ethical violations, characterized by appalling treatment of staff, had come to light and resulted in a significant inquiry that would likely have culminated in her removal from the Colorado legislature.
Consequently, she chose to resign before facing the consequences. In her Facebook announcement, she stated, “I have wonderful news to share. I have the opportunity to serve with a regional not-for-profit that focuses on developing future women and LGBTQ+ leaders through an International lens.
Furthermore, she asserted that she had performed admirably in the legislature, conveniently ignoring the fact that she was resigning due to an ethics investigation, stating, “Serving the people of Colorado as an Elected Official from Senate District 17, Longmont, Lafayette and Erie has been the honor of a lifetime. I have been in the General Assembly for 7 years. During that time, I have served my constituents with pride and productivity. I have passed an enormous amount of legislation and policy that hopefully benefits every citizen of Colorado and some have become national benchmarks.”
Subsequently, while detailing the various progressive causes she championed, Lewis stated, “Being acknowledged by the White House on multiple occasions for my efforts as a prominent advocate for gun violence prevention, reproductive rights, gender-affirming care, LGBTQ+ rights, Latino issues, social justice, and environmental and climate policy, as well as my service during the Marshall fire, is an experience I will always cherish.”
She once more attempted to present her departure from the Senate as something other than a preemptive move to evade an ethics investigation that could have severely impacted her, asserting, “Serving in the State Legislature is a challenging role, both emotionally and physically, as well as financially, and my family and I have made significant sacrifices over the past seven years. I have achieved more legislative objectives and assisted more individuals in their daily lives than I ever imagined possible. I am now prepared for a genuine and well-deserved break.”
This exit from the Senate occurred shortly after Lewis asserted that the extensive ethics inquiry was merely an attempt to scapegoat her, stating, as reported by the Colorado Sun, “This complaint is nothing more than a collection of incidents lacking actual evidence, intended to divert attention from legitimate universal aid issues by targeting a single senator. I am being unfairly maligned for political purposes. Through baseless accusations, the PWG is exploiting my situation to highlight its concerns.” She subsequently resigned after the exposure of her fabricated letter.
Image credit: Sonya Lewis Facebook