Douglas County Commissioner Calls Colleague A 'Cancer' As Board Erupts In Controversy... Again
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - For the second time in a year, Douglas County commissioners are trying to oust one of their own. Commissioners Abe Laydon and George Teal voted to suspend Lora Thomas as chairwoman.
The drama unfolded at a board meeting Tuesday.
They say Thomas "attempted to doxx farmers" in the San Luis Valley who support a proposal to pump water from the valley into Douglas County.
As evidence, Laydon pointed to a letter from Thomas asking about a meeting he had with residents. She asked for the names of those who attended, if they represented a group involved in the project and what they discussed.
The letter does not mention publicly outing anyone.
"The reason I asked for the information of those whom Abe is meeting with is because the county commission is going to make a decision that is going to put taxpayers on the hook for millions of dollars. This is part of due diligence to understand who is providing information to make a decision on," Thomas told CBS4 Political Specialist Shaun Boyd.
Laydon and Teal also blame Thomas for the resignation of a records clerk at the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
"For years if not decades, Lora Thomas has been a cancer on the body of this county and many, many individuals have come forward and indicated that specific issue. I would not be doing my job if I allowed that tumor to persist," Laydon told Boyd.
Laydon and Teal say Thomas doxxed the records clerk in the sheriff's office by distributing an anonymous letter that names the clerk, along with 20 other employees, in reference to corruption in the office.
Thomas, who's running for sheriff, says she distributed the letter so that people who live in the county know what's going on in the sheriff's office, although the allegations have not been substantiated.