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Colo. Rep. takes couple to
task over letter
Erin Emergy
Denver Post
Monday Sept 3, 2007
Rep. Doug Lamborn left two voice mails at the home
of a couple who questioned his acceptance of campaign contributions
from the gambling industry, saying there would be "consequences"
if the couple did not respond.
Jonathan and Anna Bartha wrote a letter printed in the Aug. 24
Woodmen Edition, a community newspaper.
The couple raised concerns about Lamborn's receipt of $1,000
from International Game Technology PAC and a $500 contribution
last summer from Marc Murphy, an executive of Bronco Billy's Casino
in Cripple Creek. IGT makes gambling equipment.
Jonathan Bartha, 34, is employed by Focus on the Family. His
wife, a board member of Falcon School District 49, worked for
two months as a scheduler for candidate Jeff Crank during a bitter,
six-way Republican primary race for the 5th Congressional District
seat.
(Article continues below)
In his messages, Lamborn said he wanted to appeal to the couple
as "brothers and sisters in Christ" and implored them
to call him back to discuss their "blatantly false"
letter.
"We felt very threatened and intimidated, and quite frankly,
scared," Anna Bartha said. "It was just not anything
we would ever anticipate an elected official would pursue or a
way that an elected official would conduct himself."
When asked whether his messages were threatening, Lamborn said:
"No, that is ridiculous. My hope, I failed, but I had hoped
to meet with them privately and confidentially because lying is
a serious matter. "
When asked what he meant when he said there would be "consequences,"
Lamborn said: "When someone tells a lie, it just has bad
consequences."
Three days after leaving the messages on the Barthas' voice mail,
Lam born wrote an open letter to Greg Garcia, chair of the El
Paso County Republicans, asking him to investigate.
In an open letter to the party on Aug. 8, Garcia said the local
party would not tolerate false or misleading statements in campaigns.
"That's a lot of what I'm thinking of when I talk about
'there are consequences,' because Greg Garcia had said earlier
that there is going to be a punishment if people tell lies in
the course of a campaign," Lamborn said.
As a private citizen, Bartha has the right to question an elected
official's actions.
Federal records show that Lamborn received a $1,000 check Jan.
30, 2007, from the IGT PAC. Records also show receipt of $500
from Murphy last summer.
Lamborn said he has returned both contributions, but he could
not say when that was done.
Nancy Brown, a spokeswoman for Jones Vargas, a law firm in Reno,
Nev., that represents IGT, said the company's PAC sent a $1,000
contribution to Lamborn in January. She said Lamborn returned
the check, although she could not provide the date of the return.
Federal records do not show that the check was returned.
Murphy could not be reached for comment.
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INFOWARS:
BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR ON FOR YOUR MIND
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