Denver Mayor Hancock must respond to ethics complaint about Thanksgiving travel

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock must defend his Thanksgiving flight to Texas before Denver’s Board of Ethics after the watchdog group received a complaint about his holiday travels.

Denver’s Board of Ethics voted Wednesday to continue looking into an ethics complaint filed by a resident, ethics board spokeswoman Lori Weiser confirmed.

Additional details about the complaint — first reported by CBS4’s Brian Maass — were not immediately available. What is clear is that Hancock urged Denver residents to avoid travel at all costs during the holiday as a way of controlling the spread of the coronavirus.

The ethics board will discuss the incident during their meeting in mid-February and Hancock must respond to the complaint before then, Weiser said.

Hancock flew to Texas over the holiday, where he rented a car and drove to Mississippi to be with his wife and youngest daughter. As he traveled, he was sharing messages on social media asking everyone to avoid leaving town.

His travel drew swift condemnation from public health officials, residents and politicians alike. Ultimately Hancock apologized for his actions, saying. “I recognize that my decision has disappointed many who believe it would have been better to spend Thanksgiving alone … I made my decision as a husband and father, and for those who are angry and disappointed, I humbly ask you to forgive decisions that are borne of my heart and not my head.”

Many — including Democratic State Rep. Kyle Mullica of Northglenn, who is also a nurse — said the mayor’s credibility on the pandemic had been damaged.

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