Colorado judicial panel, AG seek to seal records in motion by ex-official suing them
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office on Wednesday filed an emergency motion on behalf of the state Commission on Judicial Discipline to seal records submitted in an Oct. 13 motion – filed by a former official accusing the commission and Weiser of covering up judicial misconduct.
The former official is Christopher Gregory, who, in his Oct. 13 motion in Boulder County Court in Longmont, accused several county judges of bias and improper case assignments and sought to disqualify them from cases involving him. Gregory, the judicial commission’s former executive director, told The Center Square Wednesday afternoon that he disagrees with a proposal by Weiser’s office and the commission to substitute his Oct. 13 motion with a redacted version.
On Oct. 1, Gregory filed a motion in the same court, seeking a civil protection order against Weiser. That motion was reported earlier on Wednesday in an exclusive story by The Center Square. The case involved former Chief Court Administrator Christopher Ryan’s allegation that a $2.66 million to $2.75 million “hush money” contract was offered to Mindy Masias, who was fired in 2019 from her position as chief of staff for the Colorado State Court Administrator’s Office. Ryan, who resigned in July 2019, alleged Masias was awarded the contract in exchange for not filing a tell-all sexual discrimination lawsuit.
Gregory told The Center Square that when he attempted to investigate the so-called “hush money contract,” he was fired from his position of executive director. Gregory went on to sue Weiser, Gov. Jared Polis, the commission and others in 2025 in the U.S. District Court in Denver.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Charles Kooyman signed off on Wednesday’s motion. The Center Square emailed Kooyman Wednesday evening for comment, but did not hear back by publication time. Above Kooyman’s statement saying he filed the motion are signatures by Kooyman and Weiser.
Shannon Carbone, the administrative deputy for the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, told The Center Square Wednesday in an email that the D.A.’s office was considering whether to issue its own motion to seal records from Gregory’s Oct. 13 motion. She also said consideration of the motion was not related to The Center Square’s earlier story Wednesday on Gregory and Weiser.
Carbone added the district attorney’s office did not talk to the attorney general’s office about the latter’s emergency motion to seal the records.
In his Oct. 13 motion, Gregory sought to disqualify Chief Judge Nancy Salomone, Judge J. Keith Collins and Senior Judge Steven Sletta in the 20th Judicial District, which serves Boulder County, from hearing any cases involving Gregory. The motion goes on to say Gregory is seeking disqualification of all of the district’s judges.
Gregory alleged judicial bias, conflicts of interest and improper case assignments that he argued prevent him from receiving a fair and impartial hearing in his cases.
As a result, he requested a special tribunal to facilitate the appointment of an impartial judge to oversee his proceedings.
In its motion to seal the Oct. 13 filing, the commission argues that confidential judicial-discipline information must remain private to protect complainants, witnesses, judges and the integrity of investigations. They also submitted a proposed redacted version of Gregory’s filing, arguing that the confidential information was unnecessary to his allegations of judicial bias.
Gregory disagreed, saying the public should be made fully aware of the alleged misconduct he is suing over since state officials are paid by taxpayer dollars.
Wednesday’s motion by the commission is not the first time the panel has sought to seal Gregory’s findings. Earlier this month, Gregory initiated a separate court proceeding against Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty, seeking to compel prosecution under Colorado law.
But on Oct. 7, the commission filed a motion in response to his petition, seeking to seal his petition to compel prosecution of Weiser and other officials for concealing judicial misconduct.
No rulings have been made on any of the motions in the various cases.
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