Face The State Staff Report
It’s been a bad week for DeAngelo Starnes, the former associate general counsel for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 union. He lost his job, had a complaint filed against him alleging he is not licensed to practice law in Colorado and was skewered on the front page of Tuesday's Denver Post.
Starnes' Facebook "wall"Facebook.com/FTS illustration
Starnes’ Facebook status as of Wednesday afternoon read, “DeAngelo is bouncing back from a rough two weeks where he's been painted as an asshole.”
Starnes had been a leading opponent of Amendment 47, which would prohibit unions from requiring workers to pay dues as a condition of employment. He recently appeared in a television ad paid for by Coloradans for Middle Class Relief, the UFCW’s issue committee opposing Amendment 47, saying: “This could destabilize our entire economy.” The ad identified Starnes as an attorney but did not mention his affiliation with the UFCW.
Ernest Duran, president of the UFCW Local 7, told the Denver Post Starnes “recently left” his position with the union but would not elaborate. Starnes’ Facebook status on Oct. 25 said, “DeAngelo is unemployed.”
On Monday, a complaint was filed with the state alleging that Starnes has been practicing law without a license, despite having appeared as counsel for the UFCW at least three times. Starnes had his Washington D.C. law license suspended in 2003 for six months after making a false statement to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Committee on Admissions.
According to records filed with the U.S. Department of Labor, Starnes was one of the highest paid employees at the UFCW, making $110,629 in 2007.
The Post also reported Tuesday that Starnes sent an email to Amendment 47 co-author Ryan Frazier in August using a racial slur and profanity. In the email, Starnes called Frazier a “fucking sell out” and “House Nigger.” Both Starnes and Frazier are black.
Starnes’ Facebook status the night before the Post’s report read, “DeAngelo is getting prepared for a news fallout that seeks to use him as a pawn.” His status the next afternoon read, “DeAngelo is recovering from media rape. It's rough and devastating.”
Starnes declined Face The State’s request for a formal interview, but wrote in an email, “I can't imagine what the fallout is going to be as I look for another job. So I'm going to lay low for a while.”