DENVER—Stephanie Villafuerte, Gov. Bill Ritter’s deputy chief of staff, withdrew her nomination for U.S. attorney in Colorado following a flap over access to a restricted law enforcement database during Ritter’s 2006 campaign.
Villafuerte told U.S. Attorney Eric Holder on Monday that a “needless and extraneous political fight has emerged in Colorado” that “overshadowed the deliberative and independent assessment of my qualifications for this important office.”
Her withdrawal came after Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed skepticism about the nomination and asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano last week to investigate the database case. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., had asked Holder to open an investigation.
Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., had lobbied Sessions for Villafuerte’s nomination. He expressed disappointment Monday.
“Stephanie has made a decision in the best interests of the office she hoped to serve, and I respect her for it,” Udall said.
Villafuerte was one of three names submitted to the White House by Ritter in January. But the case of Cory Voorhis, a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, overshadowed the nomination from the beginning.
Voorhis lost his job with ICE after accessing a restricted law-enforcement database to get information about an illegal immigrant. The information was used by Republican Bob Beauprez in a 2006 gubernatorial campaign ad against Ritter, who served as Denver’s top prosecutor from 1993 to January 2005.
After the ad appeared, the Denver district attorney’s office also accessed the database to check on the immigrant.
Villafuerte, who worked for Ritter’s campaign at the time, denied asking the DA’s office to access it and denied wrongdoing in her letter to Holder.
“At every stage of the process and consistent with Department of Justice protocols for U.S. Attorney nominees, I have honestly and thoroughly answered all questions posed to me about this issue,” she wrote.
“I continue to stand by my statements and maintain that my involvement was appropriate at all times.”
In a statement, Ritter said, “Stephanie is incredibly well-qualified and would have made a terrific U.S. Attorney. It’s unfortunate that the nominating process became politicized to the point where she felt it would have compromised her ability to serve.”
Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams called Villafuerte’s nomination “a mistake and an arrogant act of power.”
“This does not end the story,” he said, adding that Napolitano’s inquiry and a Justice Department investigation should go forward.
Villafuerte was to replace President George W. Bush appointee Troy Eid, who stepped down with the change in administration.
Voorhis was acquitted of federal charges accusing him of illegally accessing the database in September 2006 and turning information over to Beauprez. Voorhis provided Beauprez information about deals struck by Ritter while he was Denver’s district attorney that allowed illegal immigrants to plead to lesser crimes to avoid deportation.
Voorhis’ attorneys argued that he was exercising his First Amendment rights in bringing the plea agreements to light. They also said that Ritter’s campaign, through Villafuerte, had done the same thing but wasn’t being prosecuted.
Staff at the Denver District Attorney’s Office testified that they accessed the database to answer media inquiries about the Beauprez ad. Assistant DA Chuck Lepley testified he spoke with Villafuerte on the phone several times around that time because there was a security threat at Ritter’s campaign office.
Voorhis later lost his job and is seeking reinstatement. Reached by phone Monday, Voorhis said he’s under a gag order as part of his effort to get his job back and couldn’t comment.
“Cory and I do not care whatsoever” about Villafuerte’s withdrawal, said Mike Ribeau, a retired ICE agent who is helping Voorhis’ seek reinstatement. “He’s not vindictive. He wishes nobody any harm.”
Udall asked that President Barack Obama choose one of the remaining candidates for U.S. attorney from the names submitted in January: Pueblo District Attorney Bill Thiebaut Jr. and Denver attorney John Walsh III.
Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy said the matter underscores a state of politics in which nominees become instant political targets.
“The parties are watching each other very carefully and will take advantage of even the slightest hint of wrongdoing, no matter how minor,” he said.
