Do As He Says, Not As He Does

For the past several weeks, my opponent, Kevin McCasky, has been talking in candidate forums and debates about how hard he is working going door-to-door, and about how he is going to crack down on illegal immigration. "That's the kind of leadership I'll bring," he says.

But as it turns out, not only is McCasky not doing his own door-to-door work, his campaign has been paying illegal immigrants to do it for him. Both The Canyon Courier and The Rocky Mountain News have the story.

First, from The Courier:

An illegal immigrant from Mexico was hired to distribute campaign literature for Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey and Commissioner Kevin McCasky, according to McCasky’s Democratic challenger…

…When contacted by the Courier, Manuel confirmed that his father is an illegal immigrant from Mexico. He further said that his father told him that he often worked in Colorado with other illegal immigrants, but also with Americans.

"Yes," Manuel said in accented English when asked if his father was here illegally. "There's a spot where the people gather up, and people come and pick them up to work for a day." Manuel would not give his father's name, fearing that his father would be deported.

Storey said he arranged through Mike Ciletti, a political consultant, to have the campaign literature created and distributed. Ciletti arranged a deal that included WizBang Solutions as the designer of the campaign materials. WizBang then reportedly hired Door Hangers Direct to distribute the campaign materials.

"I have no clue about illegal immigrants and delivering door hangers," Storey said. "It's not my responsibility. The responsibility lies with the company who does that."

Storey brushed off any ethical disconnects related to being a senior law enforcement officer and having illegal immigrants hired to distribute campaign materials. "I don't think we're talking about ethics here," he said…

…McCasky would not return several phone calls over a three-day period seeking comment for this story. He asked Ciletti to act as his "spokesman" on the issue, the first time McCasky has used a spokesman for any story by the Courier about the 2008 campaign.

Ciletti said Bane should inform immigration authorities if he has proof that illegal immigrants were hired. He said McCasky will change who he does business with and ask contractors who they are subcontracting with in the future.

Bane said the story is a blatant case of hypocrisy on the part of McCasky.

“For weeks Kevin McCasky has been talking about he’s going to get tough on illegal immigration, and then it turns out that he hires illegal immigrants to campaign for him," Bane said. "He’s paying illegal immigrants to distribute his literature door to door. Amazing. You couldn’t make this stuff up.”

And here's an excerpt from The Rocky Mountain News:

Kevin McCasky's Democratic rival says the Republican Jefferson County Commissioner hired undocumented workers to pass out campaign fliers.

Mike Siletti, spokesman for McCasky, said the campaign did not knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Democrat Jason Bane's charge comes at the same time McCasky, seeking a second term, proposes to crack down on illegal immigration…

…An English-speaking relative of one of the door-hanging crew members told a Rocky Mountain News reporter Tuesday the crew member is undocumented.

Siletti said McCasky's campaign hired WizBang Solutions to print the fliers and distribute them. WizBang hired Door Hangers Direct to deliver the fliers to homes, Siletti said.

"We hired WizBang Solutions, and I have full confidence that it checks out its employees and they're not hiring illegals," he said.

Storey said he was embarrassed to learn about the "inadvertent" hiring…

…Siletti accused Bane of taking a "cheap political shot." Bane shot back, saying, "McCasky is out there talking about getting tough on illegal immigration, yet he had illegals working for him."

Kevin McCasky is only too happy to talk about illegal immigration, until he gets caught doing something wrong. Funny how he refuses to return phone calls then.

Another Week, Another Scandal

Until we change the culture in Jefferson County government by electing new public officials, it's going to be difficult to finally put a stop to this kind of nonsense. As The Columbine Courier reports:

A judge has approved the addition of County Commissioner Jim Congrove and former assistant county attorney Duncan Bradley as defendants in a federal lawsuit involving alleged wiretapping and character defamation.

Mike Zinna, a longtime county gadfly who has been involved in several lawsuits against the county, has alleged for two years that Congrove, Bradley and private investigator Daril Cinquanta, while he was working for the county, illegally intercepted Zinna’s e-mails and phone calls. Zinna says they used the materials to defame him on a website, www.coloradowackoexposed.com. Records show the site was established by Robert Cook of Lakewood, who Zinna alleges is a friend of Congrove. The site apparently was a response to the website Zinna operated skewering Jeffco public officials, www.coloradoexposed.com.

The county tried to prevent Congrove and Bradley from being added as defendants, but an Oct. 6 ruling did just that. A status conference has been set for Nov. 25 in federal court in Denver.

"Frankly we would rather have had it dismissed," said Ellen Wakeman, Jeffco's acting county attorney. "It's just a complaint. It's what he's alleging so far. Mike Zinna's allegation is all we have. So far there's been no evidence, no trial and no proof of anything."

"I think the judge's ruling speaks for itself," Zinna said. "There exists in this case substantial forensic computer evidence and sworn statements from at least seven individuals, all of whom are friends or co-workers of the accused in this case. Furthermore, a significant portion of the (Colorado Bureau of Investigation's) independent investigation substantiates the wiretapping allegations."