Thirty-Five Years Ago This Week: First Credit Corporation of Boulder’s president and co-owner, Lillian Bickel, put an end to weeks of speculation with an announcement that she would seek the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.

“I have broad experience in the areas of finance, management, systems analysis and personnel services,” Bickel said, “all of which could be of value to someone serving at the right hand to a new Republican governor.”

Bickel was a long-time Republican activist who had represented Colorado on the rules committee at the 1984 National Republican Convention and had held a number of executive positions in the Colorado Federation of Republican Women.

“I feel that I can be an articulate spokesperson for economic development in Colorado because of my business, political and public service affiliations,” Bickel said.

Also toeing the waters was former Rep. William ‘Don’ Friedman, R-Denver. Ironically, in the mid-1970s Friedman had introduced a constitutional amendment to abolish the office of lieutenant governor.

“If I do decide to run I’ll make up my mind in a few months,” Friedman said. “I’ve already come up with a campaign slogan ‘The right man for a job we don’t need.’ I’d campaign to do away with the office. It’s an absolutely archaic office.”

Friedman brought up the issue while speaking in Greeley and while he was blasé about the issue, insiders pointed to a strong link between him and Steve Durham who was running the Republican assembly for gubernatorial candidate John Andrews.

“I am not officially aligned with any particular campaign,” Friedman said.

Twenty-Five Years Ago: Lobbyists Frank Hays III and Steven Durham came under fire from Republican legislative candidates who alleged that Citizen Victory Fund Inc. was part of a “nefarious scheme” both men were involved with to harm their election chances through anonymous mailings on behalf of their primary opponents.

Former Rep. Martha Kreutz, R-Littleton, and Rep. Rickard Decker, R-Fountain, lodged the charges against Hays and Durham and spoke at a press conference in front of a Capitol Hill apartment building that just so happened to be listed as the headquarters of Citizens Victory Fund.

“The campaign fliers mailed to constituents in our districts with ‘Citizens Victory Fund’ as the only disclaimer violated the spirit if not the letter of the law,” Kreutz said. “This is clearly an attempt to defy the intent of the campaign reform passed by 65% of the people of Colorado. We cannot allow this election cycle to be stolen from the people of Colorado.”

Kreutz estimated that the Citizens Victory Fund would be spending over $100,000 on numerous campaigns throughout the state.

“We are unable to identify what the group stands for, there seems to be no grand social cause they espouse,” Kreutz said. “I suspect this is an attempt for a lobbyist or his clients to gain undue influence over Colorado’s lawmaking bodies.”

Kreutz and Decker said that when they attempted to contact the group by going to the address listed as its corporate headquarters, the apartment manager said she knew nothing of the group and would not confirm the existence of the unit listed as part of the address.

When reached by reporters for comment, Hays asked, “What are they all worried about? The fliers pointed out what Candidate A stands for and what Candidate B stands for. I’d been assured that the mailings met all legal requirements. Kreutz and Decker act like they were shot in the head.”

Kreutz fired back that she was not questioning Hays’ or his clients right to free political speech but, “I am asserting that they should be held to the same standard of disclosure that campaigns, corporations, political committees, or political parties are held to.”

Hays said he would not disclose the names of contributors to the Citizens Victory Fund.

Rachael Wright is the author of several novels including The Twins of Strathnaver, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics, the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Denver Gazette.