Denver Mayor Michael Hancock Apologizes For Traveling On Thanksgiving

Denver politicians and residents were furious last week as Mayor Michael Hancock made headlines for catching a flight the day before Thanksgiving.

Many found the mayor's actions hypocritical as he had spent the last two weeks in news conferences urging residents to stay home and avoid holiday travel.

The mayor's office sent an apology email to city staff on Monday addressing the issue, according to the Gazette.

"First, I want to say that my decision was unwise and hypocritical - a mistake that I want to deeply apologize for," wrote Hancock. "My job as Mayor is not only to help come up with safe practices for the entire city. It's also to set an example, and on that measure, I failed."

Hancock flew out of Denver to visit his wife and daughter and he sent his "deepest apologies" to those who followed his advice and did not see their family for the holiday.

On November 23, twenty-five Denver metro mayors, including Hancock, wrote a letter to Governor Polis urging him to make statewide safety guidelines clearer and the enforcement of those guidelines more consistent.

Now experts are saying the mayor's actions could threaten public health official's efforts to influence public behavior as cases and hospitalizations surge in Colorado.

The apology came after news of his Thanksgiving travel made it to national news networks like CNN.

"As a public official, whose conduct is rightly scrutinized for the message it sends to others, I apologize to the residents of Denver who see my decision as conflicting with the guidance to stay at home for all but essential travel," the mayor continued. "I made my decision as a husband and father, and for those who are angry and disappointed, I humbly ask you to forgive decisions that are borne of my heart and not my head."

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