Ginnie Kontnik, the one-time chief of staff for former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, faces a single misdemeanor charge in connection with a three-year investigation involving financial disclosure that began shortly before the senator's surprise retirement decision in 2004.

Court records indicate she will enter a guilty plea and the government will not seek jail time in the case.

Kontnik served as Campbell's chief of staff from shortly after his party switch from Democrat to Republican in 1995 until February 2004, when she resigned amid published reports that she asked an underling to give her $2,000 from an inflated bonus she had given him.

The U.S. Department of Justice's Public Integrity section launched an investigation, and as the media reported on Kontnik's troubles, Campbell abruptly ended his 2004 re-election bid, citing health concerns and a desire to spend more time with his family.

Last Friday, the department filed a misdemeanor charge against Kontnik in U.S. District Court in Denver, accusing her of making a false statement in a 2002 financial disclosure report.

According to the court filing, she certified that her financial disclosure report was "true, complete and correct to the best of (her) knowledge."

However, according to the charge, she falsely certified that she had not received any reportable gifts when she "well knew she had received approximately $2,000 in cash from an employee whom she supervised."

Kontnik could not be reached for comment Monday.

"All along he (Campbell) has had faith that justice would be served in the matter," Campbell chief of staff Dave Devendorf said.

Court documents show the matter is set for a hearing Friday morning before Magistrate Michael E. Hegarty.

Kontnik's departure in early 2004 marked the start of one of the most tumultuous periods in Colorado political history.

In late 2003, Campbell had announced his intention to seek re-election, and he angrily dismissed claims by Democrats that he might change his mind and retire.

Then in late January 2004, when Democrats were still struggling to recruit potential challengers, the Rocky Mountain News reported that Kontnik had been ousted from her job.

Campbell's office denied the report, saying that Kontnik merely had been reassigned. But within days, she announced she was resigning.

"You know, I didn't sign on for a lifetime," she said at the time of her departure. "And I've had some real opportunities to look at myself. I have had a real change in values and I want to go forward."

Kontnik said she had finalized a divorce and that had caused her to want to change the direction of her life.

"I'm taking stock of things and am going to do something else in the next portion of it," she said.

Soon afterward, there were published reports that she had given assistant Brian Thompson an inflated bonus on the condition that he give a portion of the money back to her.

Kontnik reportedly acknowledged receiving the money but said it was reimbursement for legitimate, work-related expenses.

Democrats demanded an investigation, and while a barrage of negative news headlines continued, Campbell abruptly announced he was ending his re-election bid.

That set off a scramble among would-be replacement candidates that ended with then-Attorney General Ken Salazar, a Democrat, defeating Republican beer magnate Pete Coors in the 2004 election.

sprengelmeyerm@shns.com or 202-408-2729