ICE Agent Charged With Exceeding Authority Claims Discrimination

KGMH TV Denver ^ | November 7, 2007 | Tom Burke, Tony Kovaleski

[Tennessee Nana]

Argues DA Employee Accessed Federal Database With No Prosecution

DENVER -- CALL7 Investigators have learned an agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement argued that federal prosecutors violated his rights and discriminated against him when they charged him with three misdemeanor counts in the wake of political commercials aimed at now Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter.

Agent Cory Voorhis is accused of leaking confidential information to the gubernatorial campaign of Republican Bob Beauprez and overstepping his authority to access the National Crime Information Center database, or NCIC.

Voorhis allegedly gave the Beauprez campaign information that was used in a television ad against the Democrats candidate for governor, Bill Ritter.

The information Voorhis is accused of illegally accessing involved the arrest and plea bargain of an illegal immigrant who was later accused of committing crimes under another name, instead of being deported or prosecuted by Ritter's office, for his previous crimes in Colorado.

Ritter was, at one time, the district attorney for Denver.

In a federal court filing on Tuesday, defense attorneys claimed government prosecutors "isolated and singled out" Voorhis in contrast to others "accused of NCIC misuse."

The "others" were not named in the federal filing, but are described as an employee of the Denver District Attorney's Office and an investigator with the Harris County, Texas, district attorneys' office.

Voorhis' defense offers evidence that both people accessed the exact same information, for political reasons, in the days following Voorhis' initial query but neither was charged by government prosecutors.

Voorhis also contends that his access of the NCIC database was for legitimate law enforcement purposes and that Voorhis was "concerned that individuals on the list might flee to evade arrest or deportation."

Voorhis claims his prosecution violated his "First Amendment right to speak about political elections and other matters of public concern without being punished."

The federal court filing goes on to say, "The provision of information was consistent with agency guidance Voorhis had received from his supervisors and others, including written guidance reciting that unlawful foreign nationals do not enjoy Privacy Act protections and that a foreign national's immigration status, nationality and entry/departure information are exempt from Privacy Act protections and available for release to the general public and media."

Government prosecutors disagree, writing in a similar court filing that Voorhis "intentionally exceeded his authorized access to a computer and obtained information from an agency of the United States ... while acting outside his official capacity as an ICE agent."

In a statement to 7NEWS, supporters of Voorhis called "Cory Legal Defense" claim "Gov. Bill Ritter and some of his key associates in the Denver DA’s office may themselves have violated the same laws Voorhis is charged violating is evidence of a double standard."

The group is calling for a federal grand jury to investigate the allegations.

Gov. Ritter's office told 7NEWS, ""This is a desperate attempt by a criminal defendant to get these charges against him dismissed. This is also a criminal defendant who essentially admits to committing a crime in this motion. Furthermore, the motion also seems to implicate the Colorado Republican Party in another inappropriate breach of a federal government database."

As for the district attorney employee mentioned as also accessing the database, the DA's office told 7NEWS, "There is no comparison between our accessing NCIC and what Mr. Voorhis allegedly did. This was authorized lawful access that was performed in the course of official duties. In that time period the spokesperson for the Denver DA received numerous media inquiries about the DA's involvement and this defendant. Our office accessing both CCIC and NCIC was a result of attempting to respond to inquiries about the defendant and his case involvement with the Denver DA. There was nothing criminal in the Denver DA's access to the criminal databases. Our access was completely lawful and authorized."

[Tennessee Nana]

This case was discussed on Terry Anderson's show last night, Nov 18...

http://thewakeupamerica.com/TERRY_ANDERSON_SHOW_ARCHIVES_PAGE_01.htm

[Tennessee Nana]

PING

[fieldmarshaldj]

Ritter is a menace. The Spitzer of the Rockies.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“Ritter is a menace. The Spitzer of the Rockies.”

BUMP

[Tennessee Nana]

Ritter is the Sutton-of-the-Rockies

[Tennessee Nana]

“The information Voorhis is accused of illegally accessing involved the arrest and plea bargain of an illegal immigrant who was later accused of committing crimes under another name, instead of being deported or prosecuted by Ritter’s office, for his previous crimes in Colorado. “

This illegal alien was let go in CO, and not deported, went to CA, changed his name and raped a underaged girl...

[upsdriver]

“Ritter is the Sutton-of-the-Rockies”

That is a good comparison. thanx for posting this.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Better!

BUMP

[Tennessee Nana]

I’d like to find a more up-to-date article

[upsdriver]

I would imagine the Denver Post would be a good place to check.

[yorkie]

>> “Ritter is the Sutton-of-the-Rockies” <<

Close the danged border! This should have been done at least six years ago!

I have nightmares about the free legal representation these invaders get!

Close the border. Build a fence. We can put a man on the moon and robots on mars - but we can’t even put drones on our border to protect our country?

Helllllllllllllllo?

[Tennessee Nana]

:)

[upsdriver]

checked the Post, I think you have the most current article.I’m sure there will be more in the coming days.

[Tennessee Nana]

Nothing newer than Nov 8 Might be somewhere else though

http://www.denverpost.com//ci_7395882?IADID=Search-www.denverpost.com-www.denverpost.com

http://www.denverpost.com//ci_7399502?IADID=Search-www.denverpost.com-www.denverpost.com

[bcsco]

This is a ping list promoting Immigration Enforcement and Congressional Reform.
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[org.whodat]

“The information Voorhis is accused of illegally accessing involved the arrest and plea bargain of an illegal immigrant who was later accused of committing crimes under another name, instead of being deported or prosecuted by Ritter’s office, for his previous crimes in Colorado. “

I thought only grand-jury information was secret, and all other was the property of the tax payer.

[Americanexpat]

So when are they going to prosecute the person that released FBI documents to Hillary?

[monday]

Notice how the Bush justice department only prosecutes Republicans. Ever since his first days in office however Dems have always been let off the hook. Why is that?

[org.whodat]

So when are they going to prosecute the person that released FBI documents to Hillary?

LOL. One of the agents did resign, but the papers are not the same. One is raw data and the other is the results of court case.

[Hornet19]

“This illegal alien was let go in CO, and not deported, went to CA, changed his name and raped a underaged girl...”

The plea bargains granted to illegal aliens who had committed such crimes such as intent to sell heroin reduced their charges to “Agricultural Trespass” and probation.

Check out Peter Boyles at khow.com. He has been all over this case.