Call for the FBI to intervene in BeauprezGate

Background:

Beauprez's campaign has used information in an advertisement against his opponent with information on a "Carlos Estrada Medina." (Rocky Mountain News, 10/11/2006)

Last Wednesday, October 11, 2006, Beauprez's campaign told a 9News reporter that they found the information on Medina "in federal criminal databases, the guy's information matches up." (RMN, 10/14/2006) But on Friday, October 13, 2006, Beauprez's campaign backed off from that statement claiming that they "deduced" the information from campaign researchers using a criminal database. (RMN, 10/14/2006)

Now Beauprez's campaign claims that the records used in the ad on Medina "are out in the public domain." (Denver Post, 10/15/2006)

Beauprez's campaign, however, has not yet shown where one can find the cases "in the public domain."

Beauprez's campaign, while admitting the Medina documents had an FBI number printed on the file, refuse to disclose the source. (DP, 10/15/2006)

Extensive research by both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post has been unable to independently verify that the California case exists or whether Medina's aliases match the cases alluded to in the ad. (DP, 10/15/2006)

Owens has asked a division of the State Department of Public Safety to investigate whether Beauprez's campaign illegally accessed the NCIC. (DP, 10/15/2006) Yesterday Owens’ office claimed that the Department of Public Safety is “nonpartisan” and that a request for the FBI to intervene is “ludicrous.” (RMN, 10/16/2006)

Clear conflict of interest with Owens' request:

* Owens directly oversees the Department of Public Safety in which the investigation is being requested. Joe Morales is the head of the Department of Public Safety and is an Owens cabinet member appointed by Owens. (RMN, 11/18/2003)

* Owens is the co-founder of the "Trailhead Group" a 527 political committee which has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking Beauprez's opponent. (DP, 8/25/2006)

* Owens also has been actively publicly campaigning for Beauprez across Colorado. (Pueblo Chieftain, 10/10/2006)

* Morales has given $1,000 to the Beauprez campaign, the maximum donation allowed by law. (www.FollowtheMoney.org)

* We learned this morning that the Deputy Director of Public Safety, Mike Acree, is also a Beauprez supporter, and gave the maximum of $1,000 to the Beauprez campaign in this election cycle.(www.FollowtheMoney.org) Acree also serves on the Executive Committee of the Douglas County Republican Party and allegedly is the Beauprez Douglas County Coordinator. (www.dcgop.org )

We call for the FBI to immediately intervene in the Beauprez investigation.

Progress Now Action

Call for the FBI to intervene in BeauprezGate