Editor’s Note — Warning: Portions of the attached police report reveal explicit details.
GREELEY — Former House District 50 Rep. Rochelle Galindo, who stepped down from her office on May 12, 2019 amid allegations she sexually assaulted two minors who worked on her campaign, is scheduled for a jury trial in June for a charge stemming from those accusations.
Galindo was never formally charged with the alleged assaults; however, she was charged with one count of providing alcohol to a minor.
Galindo pled not guilty to the charge on March 2 before Weld County Judge Charles Unfug. A jury trial on that charge is scheduled to begin on June 24.
Galindo was facing a recall attempt at the time she stepped down. She told the Denver Post in a written statement that the allegations against her were false.
“That said, they will make our fight against the pending recall effort untenable,” Galindo said. “I will not put my constituents through what will surely be a recall campaign based on political smear tactics and false allegations.”
Galindo, who previously served on the Greeley City Council, faced several problems during her short career as a Democrat legislator in the House of Representatives.
- In December 2018, the Colorado GOP accused Galindo of illegal electioneering after she was seen on video within the prohibited distance of a polling place campaigning.
- After winning an uncontested race for city council in 2015, Galindo spent left- over campaign money on a trip to Las Vegas with an undisclosed companion.
- In October 2019, questions arose around Galindo reimbursing herself for unclear legal expenses with campaign money.
Complete Colorado initially argued before the Greeley City Council that Galindo’s original police report should be open to the public at no charge considering she was an elected official. However, because several other media outlets paid the $250 charge for the details surrounding her arrest, they declined.
Galindo Police Report by Sherrie A Peif on Scribd
Complete Colorado paid for the highly-redacted report and is releasing the original affidavit for the first time in this story. Complete Colorado is not making public the police report of the second victim because charges were not filed in that case.
Former Independence Institute* Executive Vice President Amy Cooke and Complete Colorado reporter Sherrie Peif are inadvertently listed in the report as witnesses. However, Greeley Police Chief Mark Jones confirmed that neither Cooke nor Peif played a role in the circumstances surrounding Galindo’s arrest other than initially receiving the tip alleging the charges, which was mentioned by one of the victims during the investigation.
If convicted under Colorado law, Galindo faces between 6-18 months in jail and between $500 and $5000 in fines, or both.
Galindo is scheduled to next appear in court on May 12 for a motions hearing, exactly one year after she stepped down from office.
* Complete Colorado is a project of the Independence Institute.
