Chuck has a documented history of fraud allegations and findings including:

A jury assessed Chuck and his company $7.5M in punitive damages for defrauding a business partner.

Chuck was accused of continuous breaches of contract, mismanagement of properties, commingling funds, siphoning off money for personal use, failing to obtain and adhere to licensing requirements, and making fraudulent misrepresentations.

Chuck has a documented history of allegations of sexual assault and harassment, causing one local to claim that women in Chuck’s presence “get thrown up against a wall all the time”:

A former employee testified that Chuck attempted to get her drunk and made unwanted advances against her in the back of a car.

A former employee testified that Chuck “arranged to have one of his employees take care of [her] daughter…required [her] to come to his bedroom/office…then forced himself upon [her] and had sex with her against her will and over her objections.”

Chuck sought to lower his child support payments while paying his then-fiancé nearly $17k a month in inflation-adjusted 2025 dollars.

Chuck lied in court about his monthly income in order to continue hiding his finances from his own family.

Chuck said he couldn’t pay the tuition for his kids’ school even though he was allegedly worth over $28 million at the time.

Chuck Horning has failed in his promises to our community. In a sharply worded Open Letter in the Telluride Daily Planet, San Juan County Commissioner Lance Waring lays out the facts of a disturbing pattern of behavior:

Chuck Failed to meet multiple deadlines and extensions to sign a previously negotiated agreement for a voluntary 4.5% lift fee to SMART for gondola funding

Chuck repeatedly sent revised contract versions with unilaterally changed terms just two hours before SMART board meetings, making them unacceptable to board members

Chuck even fired his own son Chad Horning from a management role at the resort, breaking an important bridge between the community and the resort

A prominent Telluride homeowner said “Chuck hasn’t put any money into infrastructure since he bought the place. Lifts are breaking all the time. They had to evacuate 70 people off the Chondola on Christmas Eve. This is a novelty for him and he doesn’t care about it. It’s like his trophy and he got it kind of on the cheap. Are we at the point where it could be dangerous?”

Chuck has engaged in actions that work "against the community" rather than with it

Chuck Horning has engaged in bizarre personal behavior, made questionable management decisions, causing concerns in the community about the economic engine we all rely on, and has repeatedly showcased his professional incompetence since taking over Telski:

Bizarre Personal Behavior:

Engaged in "late-night carousing through local bars, sometimes carrying a riding crop and chatting up local women"

Was observed "licking the face of a female friend during a dinner with local officials"

Questionable Management Decisions:

Fired his CEO Ray Jacobi after only 10 months because "the chili served in mountain eateries was lousy" and "guest services weren't adequate"

Caused the turnover of five other top executives since taking ownership

Purchased a ski resort despite having zero prior experience in the ski industry

Community Concerns:

Locals expressed "increasing fear and frustration in the community" about his management

One local was quoted saying: "These guys don't know enough to even know what to ask. Can Telluride wait while these guys finish their on-the-job training?"

Professional Incompetence:

Admitted that "Everything that could be wrong with this business, except for the location, is wrong with this business"

His learning curve was described as "on-the-job training" at the expense of a major ski resort operation

We can save this community and our economic engine if Chuck Horning leaves town and never comes back. Telluride and Mountain Village deserve better than to be under the thumb of this abusive, neglectful, narcissistic, predatory, embarrassing, deadbeat fraud.