DENVER -- A 73-year-old Colorado Department of Transportation supervisor is in hot water after forwarding a Photoshopped image of President Barack Obama shining the shoes of Sarah Palin.

The e-mail, sent to at least four other CDOT employees on Dec. 22, contained a line that said, "It appears he has found his niche."

The e-mail was also sent outside the department and a person who received it complained to transportation department officials on Tuesday.

"It is an inappropriate e-mail that could be offensive to many people," CDOT spokeswoman Mindy Crane told TheDenverChannel.

Crane said CDOT employees cannot use work computers to send political or inappropriate e-mails. She also said an investigation had determined that the four CDOT employees who received the e-mail did not forward it.

The female CDOT supervisor who sent the e-mail could face disciplinary action ranging from a written reprimand to a suspension, demotion or firing, according to Crane. The employee is scheduled to meet with agency officials next week concerning the matter. She will then have a chance to respond in writing before a decision is made.

The original photograph was taken by an Australian photographer and was used with without his permission.