An independent investigation into the business travel and vendor relationships of former Cherry Creek Superintendent Chris Smith and his wife, former Human Resources Chief Brenda Smith, found a pattern of poor judgment, favoritism toward a vendor and lax oversight that investigators concluded likely violated district policy.
Investigators with Caplan and Earnest found no evidence of financial conflicts of interest nor improper gifts.
Among the findings:
- The Smiths travelled frequently from 2023-2025, with the couple attending more than a dozen conferences together.
- Between September 2023 and April 2026, the Smiths incurred more than $145,000 in approved expenses on a district provided credit card. (The report noted the Smiths often used their district credit cards to cover expenses for other employees and non-district individuals so the amounts cannot be solely attributed to them.)
- Christopher Smith did not inform the board of his travel, as contractually required.
- Investigators identified more than $3,000 in airline change fees charged to the district and concluded some travel expenses were more likely than not related to personal travel rather than district business.
- The report identified personal charges on district credit cards — including expenses tied to an Aruba vacation and Uber rides by a family member —that investigators said were later reimbursed.
In at least one instance, the Smiths and an HR staff member charged the district nearly $4,000 in registration fees for a four-day San Diego conference, but investigators found their travel schedule did not align with the event and that the couple left for a vacation in Belize while the conference was still underway…