Colorado Ethics Watch v. Independent Ethics Commission

Summary

The court held that the Independent Ethics Commission’s dismissal of a complaint as frivolous is not subject to judicial review. Although the General Assembly may authorize review of IEC enforcement decisions, the constitution prohibits legislation that restricts the commission’s authority over decisions not to enforce, and the confidentiality requirement independently weighs against review. The court therefore made its rule to show cause absolute and directed dismissal of the complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.