The legal bill for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s March 5 appearance before a Congressional hearing on “sanctuary” jurisdictions has now ballooned to $800,000, according to invoices obtained by The Denver Gazette.
City financial documents show that on Nov. 5, 2025, a third payment of $250,000 was made from the city’s general fund to the D.C.-based law firm Covington & Burling, LLP, citing the same purchase order, PO-00163290, as the two earlier payments, which totaled $550,000.
The firm was hired to represent the city and Johnston during his appearance before a Congressional hearing on “sanctuary” jurisdictions. Under the one-year contract with a maximum cap of $2 million, the city will pay lawyers a “discounted” rate of $1,000 per hour…