Denver auditor filed suit against Denver City Council on March; now council could remove his subpoena powers.
"Most members of this body want the auditor to have subpoena power and would vote that way," Councilmansaid during a Denver City Council meeting on March 7. But in the face of a lawsuit filed on March 1, Flynn and others on council have opted to repeal last year's measure in order to craft a new subpoena power ordinance and"prevent the waste and abuse of taxpayer money.
That measure granted the auditor the authority to subpoena third-party entities that contract with the City of Denver and refuse to provide documents and information in a timely manner. It also gave the auditor the right to issue subpoenas when enforcing the City of Denver's minimum-wage laws.
O'Brien is asking a Denver District Court judge to declare the amendment invalid; he wants the rest of the ordinance to remain intact. But if council votes on March 14 to repeal the ordinance instead, his lawsuit could become moot.