The Broomfield lawmaker has seven children and, in addition to being an attorney, is also a part-time college teacher. "The juggling act that I used to be able to maintain now eludes me," he wrote in the affidavit.
While he's still meeting many of his obligations, he adds, he's had difficulty managing his schedule and focusing on and completing certain tasks: "I pass frantically but idly through windows of opportunity, accomplishing little or nothing. This includes not infrequent fruitless all-nighters, often yielding little or nothing to show for the time at the end of long hours staring at a desk and computer."
Mitchell acknowledges missing a status conference before a federal judge, "numerous legislative and political meetings," and a fundraising event for his close friend Ken Buck, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, even though he describes himself as Buck's "preferred surrogate speaker."
In other court documents, Mitchell indicates that he may eventually curtail his law practice in favor of teaching and that he "failed" his client in the case at hand "because of demons he has taken first steps to grapple with."
Asked for comment on the affidavit, Mitchell responded, "I'm working with a counselor to get my planning and scheduling under control. It's a challenge to be juggling three full-time jobs. I would be grateful if people could understand that even public officials have some zone of private struggle. I don't have any further comment."
To read the complete Shawn Mitchell affidavit, read below.
