GOLDEN — The woman running to represent Colorado’s State Senate District 20 recently told a group of public relations students at a private event that as an elected official she simply lies and manipulates the system to get the job done when she needs to.
Democrat Lisa Cutter used the passage of House Bill 22-1355 the “Producer Responsibility Program for Recycling” bill as an example of how Democrats played the system to get the bill passed and signed into law by Governor Polis.
“The governor almost didn’t sign this because he was getting so much pressure from some businesses,” Cutter can be heard saying in an audio recording that was sent to Complete Colorado. “He was threatening to veto. So, his office, you know, quietly said. ‘Well, maybe we can get some other letters.’”
The bill requires “producers of products that are … packaging materials and paper products sold, offered for sale, or distributed in the state” to pay annual “producer responsibility dues.”
Cutter went on to explain how Gov. Jared Polis’ office called in some favors to get people to write in and put pressure on other legislators.
“They got hammered, flooded with emails sent in constituent communications,” she said. “So, they could say, ‘Listen, we’re getting a lot of public pressure.’”
Cutter, who currently represents Jefferson County in House District 25, was the prime sponsor on the bill in the House last year. It was a controversial bill that nearly died in the waning hours of the legislative session.
She is now running for State Senate District 20 against Republican Tim Walsh in a highly contested race that opened up when Brittany Pettersen launched her campaign for the US Congressional District 7 seat after Rep. Ed Perlmutter chose not to seek re-election.
Cutter and Walsh have spent more $1 million combined, along with hundreds of thousands more by soft money groups taking an interest in a race that could decide if Democrats maintain control of the Colorado Senate.
Possibly most disturbing in the audio recordings is Cutter telling students how as an elected official she is “unique” in that she can say whatever she needs to get her way.
“As a corporate communications person, you can say, ‘here’s the company line, and it can be authentic and real and all be on the same page,” said Cutter, who owns her own public relations firm. “I can get out there and say whatever, like our communications department can be making it up. … Sometimes, you can’t be completely honest because there’s a lot of other reasons why behind it.”
Cutter went on to use opposition to climate change legislation as an example of why it’s ok to lie to people.
“It’s constantly challenged, so we just tell everybody, you know, toe the line.”
Cutter’s campaign did not return a request for comment from Complete Colorado.
