Former Colorado state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis sentenced to probation, community service

Former Colorado state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis has been sentenced to probation and community service after she was found guilty of attempting to influence a public servant and forgery.

Jaquez Lewis was first elected to the State House in 2019 and was elected to the State Senate in 2021. An ethics probe was launched in 2024 due to complaints about Jaquez Lewis's alleged mistreatment of legislative aides. She denied the allegations, stating she was "the artificial focus of a larger conflict."

The labor union, the Political Workers Guild of Colorado, called on the former state senator to resign. Jaquez Lewis announced her resignation in Feb. 2025, stating that she was taking a position with a regional nonprofit.

Jaquez Lewis was charged with one count of attempting to influence a public servant and three counts of forgery in 2025. Denver District Attorney John Walsh said that she forged several letters supposedly written by former aides to refute the allegations against her during the Colorado Senate Committee on Ethics's investigation.

She was convicted by a Denver jury in January 2026.

On Friday, the DA announced that Jaquez Lewis was sentenced to two years of probation and 150 hours of community service. She was also fined $3,000. Walsh said that the fine will be waived if she completes an additional 100 hours of public service.