Two Denver law firms on Thursday were jointly awarded parts of a contract to investigate broad-reaching allegations of judicial misconduct and sexual harassment across Colorado’s independent judiciary.
The two firms — Investigations Law Group and RCT Ltd. — were chosen from about seven companies vying for the contract that would pay up to $350,000 to look into an alleged quid-pro-quo multi-million-dollar deal given to a former high-ranking executive in the judiciary. The investigation will also delve into allegations that the department fostered a culture in which women were sexually harassed and that some judges and other officials, most of them men, were protected from their accusers.
Investigations Law Group of Denver is to get the bulk of the contract, $250,000, to investigate the claims of workplace harassment and gender discrimination, according to the department’s intent to award issued Thursday. RCT, also in Denver, would be paid $75,000 to investigate the circumstances behind the deal given the former department official, according to the intent to award.
The intent to award opens a seven-day appeal process for unsuccessful bidders. Once potential appeals are resolved, contract negotiations with the vendors are expected to take several weeks, according to a department statement issued Thursday.
Investigations Law Group is headed by attorney Liz Rita. The company handled the inquiry into the climate within the Colorado General Assembly in 2018 following sexual harassment complaints against lawmakers that came to the forefront as part of the #MeToo movement, and following a Denver Post investigation that revealed what some called a toxic workplace at the Capitol.
