Fort Collins banker gets invited to Oval Office chat with Trump after bank gives out bonuses

A day after the State of the Union address, Fort Collins banker Sue Wagner will join a small group of business leaders and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office for a "fireside chat" on tax reform. 

The White House invited Wagner, senior vice president at Bank of Colorado in Fort Collins, largely because the bank passed along its tax savings via $1,000 bonuses to its 641 full-time employees. 

The action was noticed both by U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, who tweeted about it and mentioned it in interviews, and national conservative commentator Sean Hannity, who put Bank of Colorado's logo on screen Saturday. 

"We were one of the first community banks in Colorado to give employees a tax-cut bonus," said David Finkelstein, the bank's director of marketing. "Somehow we bubbled up from there."

"I am honored to represent Bank of Colorado at the White House to discuss the impact of tax reform and share my perspective as a strong advocate for community banking," Wagner said. 

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Wagner planned to fly to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night in time to watch Trump's State of the Union address on television. The trip is being paid for through the U.S. Treasury.

As of Tuesday morning, Wagner knew little about her accommodations or the other business leaders who will attend the meeting. The White House is handling travel arrangements and had not told her yet at what hotel she was booked. Hotel rooms are at a premium during the State of the Union. 

Wagner will come home after the 2 p.m. meeting, which is expected to last about 15 minutes. A press conference will be held after the meeting, but Wagner did not expect to speak. 

She declined to weigh in on Trump's presidency. "To me this is not political," she said. "It's just a huge honor for me and the bank to go to the White House and meet the president, no matter who it is. I am not going to make any kind of statement about my own personal opinions." 

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Wagner has been a Fort Collins banker for 35 years and joined Bank of Colorado in 2012. 

Shawn Osthoff, president of Bank of Colorado, said community banking "is a vital component to the communities we serve in Colorado and across the country. We feel strongly that the recent moves by the administration will benefit all Americans." 

The Tax Reform Bill passed Dec. 20 along party-line votes in the House and Senate. 

Proponents believe the tax bill, which cuts corporate tax rates permanently and individual tax rates temporarily, and removes the individual mandate to have health insurance, will spur economic growth.

Opponents believe the law will harm the country's lowest wage earners and hike up their taxes after individual tax provisions expire in 2025. 

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