Denver - Today CDP Chair Pat Waak called for the immediate ouster of Dan Kopelman from the Secretary of State's office, citing his side business of selling voter lists to Republican political campaigns.

"We know from reports that Dan Kopelman has been operating a business called 'Political Live Wires,' selling mailing lists, fundraising lists, and other campaign materials and that he has worked for a number of Republican campaigns, including campaigns for his boss, Secretary of State Mike Coffman. Given his position as 'elections technology manager' with the secretary of state, this raises a number of urgent questions," said Waak.

"First, did Kopelman pay the Secretary of State for the data he then turned around and sold to his Republican clients?" asked Waak. "If not, then his actions constitute theft from his employer, the state of Colorado, and he should be immediately dismissed and his crime investigated. If he did pay properly for the data, then his side business still brings a partisan stain to the Secretary of State's office. The office which conducts our elections must be free from any partisanship, and Kopelman should be dismissed regardless," said Waak.

The Colorado Secretary of State sells the list of all registered Colorado voters for $500. CRS 18-4-401 states that "theft is...A class 4 felony if the value of the thing involved is five hundred dollars or more but less than fifteen thousand dollars."

According to the Secretary of State's Elections Center web site, Kopelman was previously the Registered Agent for Coffman's Senate District 27 campaign committee. Kopelman has also contributed to Coffman's campaigns for Senate District 27 and Secretary of State. Further, the Elections Center web site lists Kopelman as a payee of both Coffman's campaign for state treasurer and his campaign for secretary of state. Kopelman's business, Political Live Wires, also received $1,500 for 'consulting for 2006' from Coffman's secretary of state campaign.

"The second question we need to ask is whether or not Secretary of State Coffman knew about what his employee has been doing," said Waak. "Certainly, there has been a close political relationship between Kopelman and Coffman going back many years. Secretary Coffman needs to do the right thing: he should dismiss Kopelman and investigate fully."

"The conduct of our elections is the cornerstone of our Democracy," said Waak. "Elections, and the state office that oversees them, must be absolutely free from any appearance of partisanship. We cannot stand for an employee of that office conducting partisan business on the side, and neither should Secretary Coffman."