Trailhead Hired Private Investigator to Spy for 2006 Gubernatorial Campaign

By Debra Loomis
November 25, 2007

A mystery surrounding the case of federal agent Cory Voorhis who allegedly accessed confidential information that was used by Republican Bob Beauprez's 2006 Colorado gubernatorial campaign has been solved.

A Texas private investigator came forward November 20, saying he was hired by a Republican political committee - The Trailhead Group - to track down information about an illegal immigrant featured in a Beauprez campaign television ad.

The ad critized Beauprez's opponent Bill Ritter and plea deals his office made with illegal immigrants while he was Denver district attorney.

State and federal investigative reports cited by the Agent's attorneys in court filings in October alleged that Houston-based private investigator Kenny Rodgers had been hired by the Colorado GOP.

The revelation coincided with federal arraignment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agent Cory Voorhis November 20 on three misdemeanor counts of exceeding his authorized access to a government database.

Rodgers, director of Gulf Coast AccuSearch, said he asked a friend in the Harris County district attorney's office to use a restricted database, the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), to locate information about the illegal immigrant.

Access to the NCIC is restricted to law enforcement officers, federal workers and, in limited cases, members of Congress.

In addition to Rodgers' friend, the Denver district attorney's office also accessed the NCIC to find information about the illegal immigrant.

The information was printed by an employee and given to District Attorney Mitch Morrissey for "informational purposes," according to DA communications director Lynn Kimbrough.

Roders was paid $750 by Trailhead, a political group founded by Colorado Governor Bill Owens, oilman Bruce Benson and beer baron Pete Coors to "dig up dirt" on Bill Ritter.

Rodgers, the former chief investigator for the Harris County DA's office, would not name his friend, but said he was retired and possibly under a criminal investigation.

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