Rocky's Carroll failed to note Republican affiliation of indicted former Jeffco treasurer

Summary: In his Rocky Mountain News column, Vincent Carroll commented on former Jefferson County Treasurer Mark Paschall, who has been indicted on two felony counts, but failed to mention Paschall's Republican Party affiliation.

In a January 31 column, Rocky Mountain News editorial page editor Vincent Carroll commented briefly on the case of "the always entertaining Mark Paschall," the former Jefferson County treasurer who recently was indicted on two felony counts. But Carroll did not mention that Paschall was an elected Republican official.

As Colorado Media Matters noted, a previous article in the News identified Paschall's Republican affiliation by reporting that he had been "ousted from the $75,500-a-year [treasurer] job when he lost the August [2006] Republican primary to former county Clerk and Recorder Faye Griffin." The News further noted that as treasurer, Paschall "wanted the county to provide him a Cadillac Escalade" and "requested an office makeover that would have cost more than $175,000" and included "[a] fully equipped wellness/exercise center." The News also reported that Paschall worked just 132 days during his first year in office and averaged a 5.2-hour workday.

Similarly, The Denver Post identified Paschall as "a conservative Republican and a former state legislator" with "a controversial history." The Post detailed instances of Paschall's questionable behavior and noted that he "was accused of violating election laws by pocketing thousands of campaign fund dollars without detailing how they were spent."

From the January 31 Rocky Mountain News column, "On Point: Suffer the children," by Vincent Carroll:

No, not even treasurers

As Jeffco treasurer, the always entertaining Mark Paschall used to distribute The Citizens Rule Book promoting the concept of jury nullification. To the horror of the local district attorney, the booklet informed citizens that as jurors, "YOU ARE ABOVE THE LAW."

Who knew that Paschall, caught on tape last month apparently orchestrating an illegal kickback scheme, also considered county treasurers above the law?

—J.S.W.