Thirty-Five Years Ago This Week: Denver Mayor Federico Peña announced personal news that caught many of his supporters and Denver residents who paid close attention to politics off guard.

Just two weeks prior on Nov. 16, 1990, The Colorado Statesman had published a paid ad embellished with the statement, “We’re for Peña, for Denver.” The ad had been signed by nearly 150 community leaders to “persuade Federico Peña to run for a third term as mayor of Denver.”

That same week, another event indicated that Peña was preparing to launch his bid for a third term as Denver mayor: a reportedly crowded fundraiser attended by Republicans and Democrats alike. 

But after what he said, a few calls to close advisors, surprising news trickled out of Peña’s office. — he would, in fact, not be running for a third term.

At a press conference with his wife Ellen and longtime advisors Kathy Archuleta and Tom Nussbaum, Peña said that he felt it was time “to step down graciously and let the next generation of leaders take over.”

Peña took a moment to talk about the host of accomplishments he and his administration had been a part of, and said that he was proudest of opening up city government to more people than any other time in Denver’s history.

“We have set the standard,” said press secretary Tom Gleason. “Those doors will never be closed.”

One aide said that Peña had “decided to become a human being” and that he was tired of 60-hour workweeks, with the prospect of 80-hour workweeks during the campaign.

Within hours of the press conference, Steven Kaplan, former Denver city attorney, was forced to deny his interest in running. But City Auditor Wellington Webb, who’d announced months previously that he wouldn’t run, issued a statement saying that he was reassessing his position and making strategic phone calls to key elements of his potential constituency.

Peña made it clear in his speech that it was important to him that a successor be elected who would carry through the agenda and direction he had begun. But it would only be after the proverbial dust had settled that he would throw his support behind a candidate, said the two-term mayor. 

Twenty-Five Years Ago: In a process that took two years to come to completion, former assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Development Phil Winn finally received his rumored presidential pardon from President Bill Clinton.

In 1993, Winn pleaded guilty to one count of criminal conspiracy after a congressional investigation into the low-income housing rehabilitation program found that Winn had used his influence to garner more business. Winn gave illegal gifts to senior HUD officials who had the power to grant federal subsidies to the housing projects in which Winn had an interest.

“There was not a day in the last 10 years that I hadn’t thought about it,” said the Colorado developer. “The day before Thanksgiving I found out the bone in my throat was finally being extricated.”

Clinton’s pardon proclamation offered the Reagan appointee “the nation’s forgiveness.”

“I was very surprised,” Winn said. “You could have knocked me over. I did not want this from a Republican president or else it would have seemed political.”

Nearly 6,000 people applied for only a couple of dozen presidential pardons, and Winn worked closely with attorney Andy Loewi of Brownstein Hyatt & Farber. Dozens of letters had been provided to the Clinton administration, including letters from prominent Democrats who wrote of Winn’s many charitable deeds over the years. One letter was from former Gov. Roy Romer. 

Winn said he was also comforted by the knowledge that the charge to which he had pled guilty would no longer be considered a crime in the year 2000. The US Supreme Court had ruled in a case against Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy that “a quid pro quo” must be shown in order to secure a conviction.”

“I wouldn’t even have been charged today,” Winn said.

Asked about any potential future involvement in politics, the former Ambassador to Switzerland (1988-1989), said that he would spend his time out of the public spotlight. But Winn added that he did have a special place in his heart for Gov. Bill Owens.

“He’s a phenomenal governor and I’m so proud of him,” Winn said.

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 columnist to Colorado Politics, the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Denver Gazette.