Cory Voorhis, the federal immigration agent fired amid a heated political imbroglio, has filed suit against three supervisors at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
In the suit, filed this week in U.S. District Court in Denver, Voorhis alleges that his former boss, Anthony Rouco, and two senior agents in ICE’s internal-investigations office, Manuel Olmos and Donald Charobee, conspired to boot him from his job. Voorhis also alleges the trio denied him his due-process rights. Voorhis is seeking monetary damages.
The defendants’ actions, Voorhis’ complaint states, “were calculated to ensure that the due process procedures available to plaintiff Voorhis would be a sham.”
Messages left for Olmos and Rouco at their offices were not returned Friday. Charobee, reached at his office, said he was not aware of the suit and couldn’t comment.
The suit adds another twist to Voor his’ already well-kinked narrative.
The story began during the 2006 gubernatorial race when Voorhis provided the campaign of Republican candidate Bob Beauprez information about an illegal immigrant gleaned from a restricted law enforcement database. The immigrant, Walter Ramo, received a plea bargain from Beauprez’s opponent, Democrat Bill Ritter, while Ritter was Denver district attorney.
Beauprez’s campaign used the information in an attack ad, and Ritter cried foul, saying it was illegal to access the database for political purposes. Voorhis was charged criminally in federal court but was acquitted in 2008.
ICE then launched its internal investigation into Voorhis’ actions, which resulted in his firing.
Voorhis’ lawsuit says Olmos and Charobee conducted the internal investigation with an eye toward getting Voorhis fired. He also alleges that Olmos guided Rouco’s sworn testimony and that Olmos and Charobee ignored inconsistencies in Rouco’s statements.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or jingold@denverpost.com
