Boulder Leader

Sara Loflin, a political operative with a long track record of activism and lobbying, is one of the nine candidates running for the Board of Trustees in Erie.

"[O]ur town has a responsibility to be more transparent and accountable,” Loflin said in a candidate profile published in Colorado Hometown Weekly. 

However, finding information about the full scope of Loflin's work history proves to be a challenge, particularly her lobbying experience. 

On her website, Loflin cites community, infrastructure, conservation, environment and a strong economy as key points to her candidacy,

In the Colorado Hometown Weekly profile Loflin said she has dedicated her career to “community organization and advocacy,” but is vague on the details of her history in politics. 

A variety of online resources point to deeper political affiliations.

Loflin has worked with anti-oil and gas groups including D.C. Clean Water Action, Clean Water Fund and Americans Against Fracking. The first two have accepted at least $450,000 from national anti-oil and gas groups, according to Complete Colorado. Loflin has not publicly addressed her role in many of these groups, how her involvement affects her current work or what influence funding from such groups may have on her if elected. 

In fact, although Loflin has worked with these lobbying groups for more than a year, her LinkedIn profile makes no mention of her affiliation. 

Loflin currently works as the executive director of LOGIC, a non-profit lobbyist group. The goal of the organization is to “push for reforms in how the oil and gas sector work in Colorado.” 

For the past few years, LOGIC has had a lobbyist in D.C., and continues to have one as of January, according to The Denver Post. 

LOGIC does not report its donations. Thus, citizens are in the dark regarding who has been funding Loflin’s salary, as well as the costs of the group's activism. 

There is a long history of out-of-state groups funding in state lobbying efforts. If elected to the Board of Trustees it remains unclear if Loflin's donor list will remain a mystery or if her work for LOGIC will intersect with her role as an elected official. 

While Loflin has made comments about the impact that growth has on the needs of Erie, she is a relatively new Erie resident, having moved to the community in 2018. In fact, her work bio on LOGIC's website states that she lives in “Lafayette with her husband Brian and her dog,” making no mention of Erie. 

On her committee registration form, Loflin first listed LOGIC's "303" area code number and then crossed it out and wrote in a phone number with a "970" area code.

Board of Trustee positions are of particular importance considering the news that in late 2019 that the Town of Erie was scammed out of more than $1 million, according to The Denver Post. The $1.01 million in funds was set aside for the Erie Bridge Construction but instead was sent to someone posing as a representative of a construction company, and then wired out of the country. There is no evidence that there was any criminal activity by town member officials.

This fraud emphasizes the need for greater accountability and transparency in the offices of elected officials. 

Loflin addressed this incident in her Colorado Hometown Weekly candidate profile. 

"We must begin to mature and advance our procedural and our communications infrastructure within our town administration,” Loflin told the publication. 

Three trustees, each serving four-year terms, will be elected Tuesday, April 7.