BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — Tracey Bernett, the former state representative from Boulder County who was accused of misrepresenting her primary residence and resigned in January, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Friday.
Bernett was charged in November for falsely representing her primary residence over the course of about one year. She faced charges of attempting to influence a public servant, forgery, providing false information about a voting residence, perjury and procuring false registration. She resigned in January.
The 20th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said the investigation into the matter revealed that Bernett had rented an apartment in Louisville to qualify for reelection in House District 12. However, she did not live there during the 12 months before the general election in November. The district attorney's office found that she falsely registered her car at the Louisville apartment and changed her voter registration record to that same address after the redistricting process was complete.
The district attorney's office also found that she had filed sworn documents with the Secretary of State’s Office in connection with these acts. After she changed her voter registration, she voted in a primary election in a district where she did not live, according to the office.
At her arraignment on Friday, she pleaded guilty to attempting to influence a public servant and perjury.
For the first count, she was sentenced to a two-year deferred judgment, including 150 hours of useful public service work. She was sentenced to two years probation for the perjury charge. The latter sentence will run concurrent to the first one.
“These criminal acts, including the filing of false sworn documents, violated the public trust and the integrity of our election process," District Attorney Michael Dougherty said. "I want to acknowledge and thank the District Attorney Investigators and Chief Deputy District Attorney Adrian Van Nice for their hard work in developing the evidence and making this outcome possible. It is wholly unacceptable when public servants violate the law and the public’s trust in connection with their duties.”
