Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez on Tuesday defended how his campaign obtained information for an attack ad, saying his staff did nothing wrong.
But Beauprez refused to say how the campaign got key facts, citing an ongoing Colorado Bureau of Investigation probe.
“We were given information from an extremely credible informant, we verified that that was authentic, as the media would do, and we’re absolutely certain the information is accurate,” Beauprez said after a campaign stop with veterans.
Last week, Beauprez’s Democratic rival, Bill Ritter, accused the congressman of illegally accessing a restricted crime database to gather nonpublic information for a negative advertisement.
The ad accuses Ritter of plea-bargaining a case against illegal immigrant and accused heroin dealer Carlos Estrada Medina. Medina, the ad said, was given probation and later arrested for the sexual abuse of a child.
However, Medina’s name does not show up on court files in Denver or California – where Beauprez’s campaign said he was charged. The campaign contends Medina used aliases in both cases.
“What started this was the fact that an illegal was arrested for heroin trafficking, was put right back out on the street, later commits a pretty heinous crime again against a minor … ” Beauprez said. “Somehow I’m the bad guy in this? I don’t think so.”
Beauprez said it was “absolutely indisputable” that Medina was a “heroin trafficker” in Colorado.
“I’m absolutely convinced that this is the same person,” Beauprez said. “If somebody wants to come forward and say ‘no it’s not,’ let them bring their evidence forward.”
But Evan Dreyer, a Ritter spokesman, called Beauprez’s challenge “a ludicrous statement.”
“If the congressman, once again, refused to say who provided him with this information and who verified it, really the only logical conclusion is that he has something to hide,” he said.
Staff writer Chris Frates can be reached at 303-954-1633 or cfrates@denverpost.com.
