Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Every person who’s hosted a politician or candidate for office in Aspen for a non-public event since the ’90s has reimbursed local law enforcement agencies for overtime security costs, Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo said Wednesday.
However, that precedent appears to be in jeopardy following Vice President Mike Pence’s appearance Monday at a private, $35,000-a-couple fundraiser in downtown Aspen, the sheriff said.
“I can’t get anyone (involved in the fundraiser) to even talk to me about (reimbursement),” DiSalvo said Wednesday.
And while DiSalvo hasn’t expressly been told he won’t be reimbursed, it appears taxpayers from up and down the Roaring Fork Valley will likely cover the $24,562 bill for Pence’s visit, which involved law enforcement personnel from Pitkin County, Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale and Garfield County, he said.
That likely outcome didn’t sit well with Pitkin County commissioners Wednesday at their regular, twice-monthly meeting.
“I think we’re going to eat this money regardless,” Commissioner Patti Clapper said. “When it’s just (a private event), it should not be absorbed by taxpayers.”
Commissioner George Newman noted that Pitkin County’s portion of the overtime costs will come out of the county’s general fund.
“So taxpayers are basically footing the bill for a private fundraiser,” he said.
DiSalvo told commissioners he wasn’t ready to give up on reimbursement.
In total, 88 law enforcement personnel, paramedics and public works employees took part in providing security for Pence, according to a news release Wednesday. Those local employees worked a total of 609 hours, the release states.
In normal situations when a politician or candidate comes to town for a private event, DiSalvo said he finds out who invited them and who is hosting them and charges that person or people for the overtime security costs. When he receives a check for those services, he distributes it to the agencies who helped with security, DiSalvo said.
In this case, however, he said he has not been able to discover the name of the Caribou Club member who asked to host Pence at the private club.
“This is the first time I’ve not even known who to ask,” he said. “I asked and was stonewalled locally and from people from the campaign.”
He said he spoke to one of Pence’s top aides before the event and the man promised to look into the possibility of reimbursement. However, DiSalvo said he hasn’t heard back from the man.
Anna Zane, chairwoman of Pitkin County Republicans, said Wednesday she did not know who the host was. Bob Jenkins, vice chair of the organization, declined to comment Wednesday.
A message left Wednesday and last week for the owners of the Caribou Club was not returned. Finally, attempts to get comment from spokespeople with the Republican National Committee were not successful Wednesday.
The Secret Service doesn’t pay for police overtime associated with protective visits, Jeffrey Adams, a Secret Service spokesman, said in an email Wednesday.
“The Secret Service is not funded to pay for police overtime and we don’t have a mechanism to do so,” Adams said.
DiSalvo said he heard 35 couples attended Monday’s Caribou Club fundraiser. That would mean the event raised $1.23 million, which will go toward President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign and to the Republican National Committee.
“I don’t see that event as any benefit to the county,” DiSalvo said. “I would hope that somebody with some sense would say, ‘We raised over a million dollars and we can kick some back to the locals.’”
DiSalvo said the practice of charging for private political events began under former Sheriff Bob Braudis after two visits by then-President George H.W. Bush. Since then, hosts or private donors have paid the bill when then-President Bill Clinton visited and when presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Trump visited in 2016, he said.
Further, the security detail demanded by the Pence visit was large, including a Garfield County SWAT team, DiSalvo said.
“This was a lot,” he said. “The level of service (requested) was as high as a sitting president. And he deserves it. He’s the vice president. This is the package they prepared for him.”
Still, DiSalvo said he’s not going to stop helping the Secret Service when dignitaries come to town, partially because they are fellow cops who need assistance. But also because if he doesn’t help, he’s been told they will utilize National Guard troops for security and DiSalvo said he doesn’t want soldiers on the streets of Aspen.
“When they ask us for help, I want to give it to them,” he said.
If no money for the security is forthcoming, each agency will pay its own overtime costs, DiSalvo said.
“I think I owe it to the citizens of Pitkin County to get paid,” he said.
Snowmass Police Chief Brian Olson said he wasn’t seeking reimbursement for his officers’ overtime because he was able to absorb the cost. Pence spent Monday night in Snowmass and returned to Aspen early Tuesday morning before flying out.
Aspen police officers worked about 80 hours of overtime, which will cost the department about $4,500, said Sgt. Rick Magnuson. Aspen police will not ask for reimbursement for their overtime costs, Magnuson said. Aspen police reported about $6,000 in overtime cost, the sheriff said.
DiSalvo said he will subtract the Aspen and Snowmass Village overtime costs from the amount he is trying to recoup.