Sen. Cory Gardner has a court date.
A representative for the Republican received five subpoenas Friday afternoon at the senator’s Denver office, ordering Gardner to appear in court in the cases of five protesters who were arrested and cited on trespassing charges during a sit-in at his office, their lawyer Alan Kennedy-Shaffer said.
Gardner’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On July 6, a group of protesters had rallied outside Gardner’s downtown office on 17th and Arapahoe streets as part of a national movement to urge GOP lawmakers to vote no on the Senate health care bill. Protesters initially held a sit-in at the office building’s lobby. Gardner’s staff invited five up to his office and coordinated a call with Gardner.
The protesters, who were with the Democratic Socialists of America, refused to leave after the call. The building is private and closes at 5 p.m. Police were called to arrest and cite the protesters. Gardner was listed as the victim on the arrest citations, which is why he is obligated to testify, Kennedy-Shaffer said.
“My clients were invited up to Sen. Gardner’s office to talk about health care and Sen. Gardner himself got on the phone with my clients while they were in his office and never once asked them to leave and never said they would be arrested,” Kennedy-Shaffer said. “And now no one wants to take responsibility for these arrests because it’s a political black eye.”
The court date is set for Aug. 8. If Gardner does not appear, Kennedy-Shaffer said he’ll ask for the charges to be dismissed and for senator be held in contempt of the court.
Gardner’s embattled sitting room has been the center of attention recently. A similar sit-in at the end of June led to 10 arrests. Those protesters entered not guilty pleas on Tuesday.
