Embattled Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas resigned Friday, just weeks before the end of her last term, blaming years of friction with fellow commissioners who she said had “kicked her out” of her office space.
In a post on social media Thomas wrote that she endured “four years of hell” while working with Commissioners Abe Laydon and George Teal, including “intimidation, oppression, censorship, marginalization and outright cancellation.”
Thomas’ term would have expired in January, when state Sen. Kevin Van Winkle will take over the seat.
Thomas was first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. Commissioners are limited to two terms, and Van Winkle prevailed last month over Democrat Josh Smith in the race to represent northwest Douglas County.
Thomas wrote that Laydon and Teal on Wednesday ordered county staffers to vacate her office space so Van Winkle could move in.
“There was already an empty executive office for Van Winkle to use, but he was okay with Laydon/Teal kicking me out,” she wrote. “This personal little intimidation was the final straw.”
The three have debated Thomas’ behavior as a commissioner for years, with Laydon and Teal censuring her, stripping her of her position as board chairman and ordering two investigations that found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Thomas, in turn, sued her two colleagues in 2023 to recover legal fees incurred during the investigations.
Laydon and Teal told Denver7 in a joint statement that there was nothing unusual about the timing of Van Winkle’s move into Thomas’ office and criticized the timing of Thomas’ own interview with the broadcaster.
“It is tragic that our censored colleague with whom we have made numerous attempts at reconciliation chose to repeatedly violate our policy manual and then host a press conference when the County honored the Kendrick Castillo family,” they said.
“We are grateful for the peace, positivity and cooperation that newly elected Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle will bring to Douglas County.”
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