The House ethics committee said Monday that reviewing the financial records connected to an ethics complaint against Aurora Democrat Rep. Mandy Lindsay is proving more complex than usual.

The committee is examining a complaint from Rep. Bob Marshall, D‑Highlands Ranch, alleging that Lindsay mishandled and improperly used funds for her own personal benefit in a way he argues was unethical and potentially criminal.

The issue that drew the committee’s attention during its May 4 meeting was a caucus retreat check.

The complaint says that between Nov. 18 and 21, 2024, six debit‑card charges totaling $6,358.68 were made at the Golden Courtyard Marriott using the House Democrats’ caucus fund.

Those payments were for a retreat.

On Dec. 4, 2024, a self-written check to Lindsay for the same amount was deposited in her personal bank account. The subject line said “retreat reimbursement,” according to the complaint.

When confronted, Lindsay claimed the amount was owed to her for dozens of caucus expenses she had personally paid, despite the information on the check’s subject line.

Lindsay was asked to provide receipts for those expenses. Instead, the complaint says, she submitted sticky notes listing the costs she claimed were for caucus business.

During Monday’s meeting, Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, pointed out that the petty cash account had only $ 500 at the beginning of November.

Mid-month, just as the retreat was underway, a $60,000 deposit was made to the account. The rest of the charges from the hotel were posted to the account shortly after.

Rep. Steven Woodrow, D‑Denver, cited the hotel charges as an example of why the committee’s work is so complex.

He said he spent part of the weekend reviewing the newly obtained information. “You either have a situation where Representative Lindsay is telling the truth, and it’s just really poor financial bookkeeping — sloppy and incomplete, from what I can tell. Or the other possibility is that there’s something more nefarious,” he said.

The committee must now review every charge Lindsay made to the account, going back to 2022 when she became caucus co‑chair.

Woodrow said several receipts raise red flags, including restaurant charges from times when the legislature wasn’t in session. Many of the expenses are significant — some close to $1,000 — and the receipts aren’t itemized, showing only the total amount paid.

On the hotel issue, Woodrow said the $6,000 check raised other questions, such as why Lindsay was floating over $6,000 to the caucus over the span of two years.

He bemoaned the fact that the committee can’t afford a forensic accountant, and that the committee will need to spend time as a group matching up receipts and invoices, and to do so publicly.

Woodrow also pointed out that it was unrealistic to expect the committee to complete that work in the next 10 days. The committee had initially hoped to complete much of the investigation into Marshall’s complaint before the end of the session, which is Wednesday, May 13.

The committee’s deadline for finishing the initial stage is May 20.

Lindsay has filed a response to the complaint that is not yet available for putlic viewing.

The committee will meet again on Wednesday.