Broncos Supplying Mayor, Family With Super Bowl Tickets, Taxpayers Paying for Flight, Hotel
By Brian Maass
DENVER (CBS4) - Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is planning to go to Super Bowl 50 with his wife and daughter and Denver's city attorney says the Broncos are supplying the Hancock family with three game passes.
Additionally, Denver City Attorney Scott Martinez told CBS4 Wednesday evening that Denver taxpayers will be asked to foot the bill for the Hancock's flights and hotel room while the mayor will pay expenses for his wife and daughter.
Martinez has asked the Denver Ethics Board to provide an advisory opinion regarding how the mayor is planning to travel to the Super Bowl with his family. The Board of Ethics has scheduled a special meeting for Friday at 2 p.m. to consider the mayor's trip.
"The city is going to be paying for his trip to Santa Clara and his hotel stay," Martinez told CBS4.
The city attorney said Hancock will use "his own money for his wife and his daughter." He went on to say that the mayor and his family will be "guests of the Denver Broncos at the Super Bowl itself." Martinez told CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass he did not know the precise value of the game passes or the entire trip.
In 2014, Hancock traveled to the Super Bowl in New Jersey but did not seek pre- approval from the Ethics Board. After the game the Ethics Board said there had been no violation of the ethics code but expressed concern that Hancock had not sought an opinion before the trip, which cost an estimated $40,000 for himself, his wife and two staff members.
According to the Denver Post, that trip was funded by the Metro Denver Sports Commission but the costs were actually underwritten by pledges from donors like Comcast and CH2M Hill, an engineering company with numerous city contracts.
This time around Hancock is looking for input from the Ethics Board prior to heading to the game.
CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass has been with the station more than 30 years uncovering waste, fraud and corruption. Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4.
