Telluride Ski Resort - An update on the ongoing Town of Mountain Village investigation

The Town of Mountain Village continues investigating the circumstances surrounding elected officials’ attempted purchase of Telluride Ski Resort last December.

The investigation centers on circumstances surrounding elected officials' attempted purchase of a portion of Telluride Ski Resort in December 2025. The Town has not publicly disclosed which officials were involved in the attempted transaction or the specific portion of the resort they sought to acquire.

The decision to launch an independent investigation suggests potential concerns about conflicts of interest, transparency, or adherence to ethics requirements governing elected officials' business dealings in matters that could affect their governmental responsibilities.

Mountain Village, a ski-in/ski-out resort community adjacent to Telluride, has close economic and operational ties to the ski resort, making any purchase attempt by local officials potentially sensitive from a governance perspective.

Transparency Commitment

The Town has committed to releasing a comprehensive public report once the investigation concludes, which officials say will provide detailed findings about the transaction attempt and the circumstances surrounding it.

The Town anticipates releasing the public report in May and will share updates through official Town communication channels as soon as additional information becomes available.

Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell is a Denver-based law firm specializing in complex litigation and investigations. The firm's retention for an independent investigation indicates the Town's effort to ensure an arm's-length review of the matter.

Mountain Village has not indicated whether the investigation's findings could lead to any legal, disciplinary, or policy changes affecting local officials.

At its regularly scheduled meeting on April 23, 2026, Mountain Village Town Council received an update on the independent investigation into events surrounding the attempted purchase of a portion of the Telluride Ski Resort.

The update was provided by Nick Boeving of Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell — the firm retained to conduct the investigation — during executive session, given the investigation’s pending status. Mayor Scott Pearson subsequently shared an update in his public Mayor's Update.

When the investigation was announced and Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell was selected, the process was estimated to take approximately five to six weeks and require 10 to 15 interviews. The investigation has now extended beyond the original estimate, with 21 interviews completed and two more scheduled. The public report is expected within two to four additional weeks.

Pearson emphasized that the delay reflects the thoroughness of the process, not setbacks.

Several individuals considered critical to the fact-finding effort required additional time to schedule their interviews, which contributed to the extended timeline. Their participation, he noted, will result in a significantly more complete record of events.

"We will release a report that will answer a lot of questions and share with the public a granular level of detail of what happened," said Mayor Pearson in his update. "It will be full, complete and highly transparent."

The Town anticipates releasing the public report in May and will share updates through Town channels as soon as additional information is available.