A federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent is the target of a criminal investigation connected to an attack ad aired by Colorado gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez, reports the Denver Post. Agent Cory Voorhis has been identified as the person who allegedly used the National Crime Information Center to search the name of a man featured in the ad. The ad claims that an illegal immigrant was given a lenient plea bargain by Beauprez’s Democratic opponent, former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter, and then went on to commit a sex crime in California.
Beauprez did not confirm the source, but said he “has a career in law enforcement and frankly had a bellyful” of Ritter’s plea bargaining. “(He) exposed an absolutely despicable pattern of bad judgment in Bill Ritter’s DA’s office, and, not surprisingly, Bill Ritter’s reaction is that it’s someone’s else’s fault. It’s the victim’s fault, it’s the cops’ fault, they didn’t get the evidence, gee whiz, we’re busy. He’s passing the buck,” Beauprez said. Greg Kolomitz, Ritter’s campaign manager, said Beauprez tried to divert attention from the fact he used illegally-obtained material. “The hypocrisy of these guys is incredible. He says, ‘Hold me accountable,’ then doesn’t take any responsibility for illegally obtained information,” Kolomitz said.