Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez’s campaign Tuesday provided the Denver district attorney’s office with what it says is evidence that Beauprez did not steal a contact list belonging to Republican opponent Marc Holtzman.
In a letter to District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, Beauprez’s attorney wrote that names Holtzman claimed were stolen from his personal contacts actually came from a list belonging to Gov. Bill Owens.
Owens’ office confirmed the governor released his campaign list to Beauprez under a “list-sharing agreement,” a copy of which was released by Beauprez’s campaign.
“Neither Bob Beauprez nor anyone associated with the … campaign has stolen anything from Mr. Holtzman or his campaign offices, including his Rolodex or address list,” Beauprez attorney Michael Norton wrote. “Quite simply, these malicious, reckless and irresponsible allegations are false.”
The campaign had threatened to sue Holtzman for libel Monday but had not decided whether to go forward by Tuesday, said Beauprez spokesman John Marshall.
On Monday, Holtzman’s campaign wrote to Morrissey claiming that a personal e-mail list of 6,500 names had been pilfered and was being used by Beauprez to solicit contributions.
To support the claim, Holtzman campaign manager Dick Leggitt said Beauprez solicited people who have never contributed to Colorado politicians. Specifically, he provided four contacts.
Norton, however, detailed Tuesday how those four people also came to be on Owens’ list.
One of those four confirmed he has personally met Owens. Vladimir Voronoff – a London resident reached on a cellphone number provided by Leggitt – said that while he has never contributed to any American political candidate, Holtzman introduced him to Owens several years ago.
“I know Bill personally, so my name could have been on his list,” he said.
But Leggitt fired back: “For every one of those, there’s another who isn’t” on Owens’ list. He then provided Martin Rauch Jr.’s number.
“I have no relationship with Colorado politics nor Gov. Owens,” said Rauch of Sarasota, Fla. “My only connection to the state of Colorado is the hopeful next governor of the state, my good friend Marc Holtzman.”
Holtzman and Beauprez have been slugging it out for the past two weeks.
Beauprez’s camp has accused Holtzman of skirting campaign-finance laws by using the campaign over Referendums C and D to collect big donations that would be illegal in a candidate race.
Holtzman, meanwhile, has accused Beauprez of taking both sides on the ballot measures to suspend spending limits on state government. On Tuesday, Holtzman’s campaign announced a new radio ad, “Both Ways Bob.”
Marshall said that Beauprez has been clear that he opposes the measures and that Holtzman has a “lack of credibility” and a “pattern of lies.”
“This is a smear campaign designed to give Marc Holtzman headlines, nothing more,” Marshall said.
Staff writer Chris Frates can be reached at 303-820-1633 or cfrates@denverpost.com.
