A weekly dive into the pages of Colorado Politics’ predecessor, The Colorado Statesman, which started in 1898:

Twenty Years Ago This Week: An article appearing in The Denver Post with the headline ‘Secret Fund riles GOP’ exploded onto Colorado’s political scene and drew the ire of Senate Minority Leader John Andrews, R-Englewood, who responded in a letter to The Colorado Statesman.

Andrews’s letter confronted Senate President Stan Matsunaka, D-Loveland, over his handling of the Senate President’s Leadership Fund, which the Post’s story had called into question.

“The Denver Post story casts doubt on your previous assurances that the SPLF, a secret education group, is ‘not for political arm twisting or campaigning,” Andrews wrote.

Andrews pointed out that political consultant Dominic DelPapa was paid out of the Fund as well as Dick Morris and James Carville, both political insiders. Andrews alleged that all three were paid through the Fund with the intent of pushing through Matsunaka’s legislative agenda.

Matsunaka had legally registered the Senate President’s Leadership Fund six weeks after its first fundraiser on January 3, and, though he’d promised reporters that he’d release the names of contributors to the Fund, he had not followed up on that promise with the release of the information.

Andrews ended his letter with a plea to Senate President Matsunaka not to “cloud over the proceeding of the Colorado Senate. Please do the right thing – make public all details of the President’s Fund, or else terminate Dominic DelPapa.”

In other news, even though he’d announced his candidacy less than two months previously, Bo Cottrell abruptly withdrew his candidacy for Colorado Republican Party vice chairman.

The Arapahoe County political activist said that he hadn’t factored in the time commitment the race and service in the vice-chairmanship would entail.

“The only thing worse than a no show is a bad show,” Cottrell said. “There is so much to do if it’s done right and I just didn’t have the time to do it.”

Cottrell’s abrupt departure from the race disappointed the many Republicans who’d already lent him their support.

“Plus,” Cottrell explained, “I don’t relish being put in the position of having to run for chairman should there be a vacancy.”

Incumbent Vice Chair Athena Eisenman said she was intentionally keeping a low profile with the press and still faced a challenger in Larry Liston from El Paso County.

Liston had drawn endorsements from U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard and U.S. Rep. Joel Hefley.

“I’m a good, sensible Republican – conservative but not a one issue person,” Liston said.

Fifteen Years Ago: Rep. Angie Paccione, D-Fort Collins, was vindicated after House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, House Majority Leader Alice Madden, D-Boulder, and House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, decided that it was not necessary to launch an ethics investigation into her affairs.

Eleven Fort Collins Republicans, including the Larimer County sheriff, had sent a letter to the General Assembly alleging that Paccione’s congressional campaign had violated House ethics regulations by sending out an email to constituents in which “an introduction on the House floor was promised to top fundraisers.”

In his response, Romanoff wrote, “…we do not see anything that rises to the level of an ethical violation. Your complaint falls short of the standard required for any investigation to proceed.”

Paccione, who was running for the 2nd Congressional District seat, said she had been entirely vindicated by the House Leadership’s decision, but she blamed incumbent U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave as the source of the controversy.

“This is a political ploy on the part of Marilyn Musgrave’s campaign,” said Paccione. “She’ll stoop to no depths to smear my name.”

Charles Fox, an original signatory to the letter, said Musgrave’s campaign didn’t have anything to do with the complaint.

“Besides,” Fox said, “the intent of the letter was to generate discussion and attention over the matter. I never expected the matter to go any further than it did, but still, we’re all pleased with the results.”

Musgrave’s campaign did not return calls for comment.

Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Colorado Springs Gazette.