Colorado’s top official in charge of homeland-security funding accused lawmakers Thursday of taking cheap political shots at his agency.
Michael Beasley, director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, said state senators have consistently misrepresented his agency’s efforts to protect the state from terrorist attacks and other catastrophes.
“They’ve really become a committee of nonconstructive criticism,” Beasley said.
Sen. Dan Grossman, D-Denver, chairman of the Senate’s special committee on homeland security, contended that officials in the administration of Gov. Bill Owens have dragged their feet in responding to the committee.
“I think all of our criticism has been well- founded,” Grossman said. “If they believe they are getting a bum rap, they should come to our committee and tell us why we’re wrong.”
The dispute over homeland-security policy has simmered for months, but it boiled over Thursday in response to a Monday letter the committee delivered to the governor.
In the letter, committee members accused officials in the Owens administration of interfering with the committee’s attempt to bring in an expert witness on communications equipment.
The five senators on the committee said the witness – John S. Powell of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – withdrew after getting “push back” from an official in the state Department of Local Affairs.
The letter said Powell made an unsolicited offer to appear before the committee.
Beasley said neither he nor his staff interfered with Powell’s plan to testify before the committee April 7.
“I think before they accuse people of doing things, they ought to get their facts straight,” Beasley said.
Powell, contacted at his office in California, said he replied to the committee on behalf of a co-worker who was asked to appear. He said he did not make an unsolicited offer to appear.
Powell, a contract employee of the department, added that his superiors in Washington, D.C., advised him not to attend. He said he had no contact with state officials.
On Thursday, Owens chided the committee in his own letter.
“Perhaps in the future, the committee will pay closer attention to obtaining more detailed information regarding such situations … before proceeding with unfounded allegations,” the governor wrote.
The committee expects to release its findings by the end of the legislative session May 11.
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-820-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
