Heimlicher pledges to disclose ethics panel's findings

A city councilman is promising to shed some light on a confidential report that will be written by the ethics commission about its controversial investigation of Mayor Lionel Rivera.

The promise from Colorado Springs Councilman Jerry Heimlicher comes with a caveat.

“When the ethics group gives us the report, I will make all the details that do not compromise Lionel Rivera’s professional career public. I will be glad to share them with you,” Heimlicher said in a telephone message left this morning.

“If the report itself doesn’t contain anything that could cause Lionel professional harm – not harm as the mayor – I will actually give you the report that they give to us,” he said.

The Independent Ethics Commission, which has concluded its investigation into conflict-of-interest accusations against Rivera, is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

The meeting will be in the City Administration Building, Suite 501, 30 S. Nevada Ave.

But people who are interested in the commission’s finding may not want to waste their time driving downtown.

According to the commission’s agenda, the only item that will be discussed in open session will be the approval of the minutes from the June 12 meeting.

The commission is scheduled to go into closed session after approving the minutes.

“The issues to be discussed involve matters required to be kept confidential by federal or state law or rules and regulations,” the agenda states. “The Independent Ethics Commission will deliberate and discuss the preparation of its confidential recommendation to City Council.”

In May, local businessman Ron Johnson filed a complaint against Rivera, alleging that the mayor had acted unethically by negotiating a deal to build the headquarters for the U.s. Olympic Committee that went to LandCo Equity Partners Chairman Ray Marshall, who used to be one of the mayor’s clients at UBS Financial Services. Rivera works as a vice president of investments at UBS.

"For a process that has moved at a snail's pace, this rush to get the meeting noticed and held prior to a vote on the USOC is likely more than coincidence," Johnson said.  "Given the ever increasing cost of the project, the Mayor’s role vis-à-vis Mr. Marshall and LandCo is more germane today than ever."