Colorado lawmakers' Vail retreat deepens rift between Democrats

A recent Vail retreat organized for select Democratic lawmakers — financed in part by a prominent dark money group — has heightened tensions within the legislative caucus and escalated a broader struggle over the direction of Colorado’s dominant political party.

The event was a summit earlier this month for the legislature’s “Opportunity Caucus,” held at Vail’s Sonnenalp Hotel. Nearly 20 legislators — who generally hew closer to the party’s mainstream than its more progressive wing — were invited for group discussions and educational panels featuring organizations that paid to attend the event. A number of prominent lobbyists also took part.

The hotel rooms were covered by a donation from One Main Street, a nonprofit group that doesn’t disclose most of its donors. Last year, the group s