KRDO13 Investigates: The waiver that started a slew of campaign attack ads
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The race to represent Colorado's 5th Congressional District (CO5) has been intense, and with ballots finally landing in mailboxes, it's showing no signs of slowing down.
Ads for and against CO5 incumbent Republican Jeff Crank or Democratic challenger Jessica Killin have filled up the airwaves and mailboxes.
You probably recognize this one:
Jessica Killin's attack ad against Jeff Crank says:
"It's clear who Jeff Crank works for. 30 years as a political insider, he gets to Congress and asks for a waiver, town halls with you, Crank won't hold them, gifts from lobbyists, he wants a special exemption."
The Republican Congressman says that's not true.
"We asked the committee for the waiver specific to my only daughter's wedding," Rep. Crank told KRDO13 Investigates. "We, out of an abundance of caution, asked for this waiver so that somebody didn't accuse us of [getting an improper gift]."
Crank says he had discussions with his lawyer and the House Ethics Committee before getting approved for this waiver.
"Rep. Crank wanted to make sure that he checked with the Ethics Committee ahead of his daughter’s wedding. The Committee directed him to this disclosure waiver, created by the Ethics Committee, specifically for such an event," A spokesperson for the Jeff Crank Campaign said over an email.
KRDO13 Investigates did some digging into the House Ethics rules and found it doesn't actually make it so that members of Congress can accept gifts from lobbyists; that's always against the rules.
The waiver is for gifts related to big life events like weddings or births, according to the House Ethics Committee website.
"Whether it be privacy or efficiency, outweighs the purpose of that disclosure or the public interest in disclosing that gift on your financial disclosure form," Dan Schwager, former legal counsel for the House Ethics Committee, said.
Schwager said anytime a gift disclosure waiver is approved by the ethics committee, it comes with discussions with committee staff. The waivers aren't just handed out like candy.
"There's a part of the gift rule that says if your child or your spouse or a third party receives a gift specifically because of your position," Schwager said. "That gift can be attributed to you under the gift rules."
In 2025, Jeff Crank was one of five members of the House of Representatives who had a gift waiver approved by the Ethics Committee. Colorado Rep. Brittany Pettersen was another.
"Not suggesting he [Jeff Crank] ever broke rules. I'm saying the rules need to be put in check and that the rules are not working for the American people," Jessica Killin told KRDO13 Investigates during a phone call interview.
Killin then explained the reasoning for why her campaign ran the ad.
"Our understanding is that his daughter's wedding was at a ranch that's owned by a massive Republican donor or somebody donated in a big way to the Victor Marx campaign. And, you know, that's what is honestly just weird and sketchy," Killin said.
When asked about this statement from Killin, a spokesperson for the Crank Campaign said the only discount the wedding party received was the venue's publicly advertised 10% military discount because Jeff Crank's daughter was marrying an active-duty service member.