Ethics committee finds probable cause to investigate if Colorado House member broke rules

Colorado state Rep. Ron Weinberg will face more scrutiny for allegations of unethical behavior following a vote of his peers Wednesday morning.

The House Ethics Committee found probable cause to further investigate two out of six allegations filed against Weinberg, a Loveland Republican, by fellow GOP Rep. Brandi Bradley. One surviving claim involves allegations that he copied or otherwise misused a master key that could access any of the offices of his fellow legislators and that he used the key to enter at least one member’s space.

The other still-active claim by Bradley alleges that Weinberg made sexually suggestive and inappropriate comments to her and others on multiple occasions.

Weinberg originally faced seven claims, but two of them were combined. The committee, made up of three Democrats and two Republicans, voted unanimously on all counts either to continue with or dismiss them.

Rep. Javier Mabrey, a Denver Democrat, said it was the pattern of alleged behavior, more than evidence around individual accusations, that warranted further discussion.

“There’s a pattern and practice of behavior here that suggests maybe some form of sexual harassment that crosses the line has happened,” Mabrey said.

That logic followed for accusations that Weinberg may have misused a master key to access areas of the building he normally wouldn’t be able to. Rep. Matt Soper, a Delta Republican, noted that legislative leaders had their offices rekeyed following the allegation — proof that suspicion was at least widespread enough to warrant further examination.

“They took action that they otherwise would not have taken,” Soper said. “And you don’t take action like that if you honestly don’t believe someone had ever had a key or had access to a key.”

Claims that Weinberg carried a gun in the Capitol and while drunk, both potentially crimes, were found to be unsubstantiated and dropped by the Ethics Committee. Claims that Weinberg accosted Bradley and was beligerent toward Rep. Stephanie Luck, also a Republican, during a 2025 committee meeting were also unsubstantiated as crossing ethical lines.

“Nothing this body has decided at this point determines one way or the other whether an ethics violation has occurred,” Rep. Steven Woodrow, a Denver Democrat, said. “It has simply found probable cause to proceed forward on those two points, and that’s all anyone should take away from this.”

Weinberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday morning.

He can request an evidentiary hearing to further investigate the claims against him, which would kick off more proceedings to determine if he breached ethical guidelines. If he does not make that request, the Ethics Committee will recommend to the House which actions, if any, it should consider taking against him, potentially including a reprimand, censure or removal.