A bag of campaign tricks

Stuart Steers And Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News

Published June 2, 2007 at midnight

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'Tis the season for campaign mischief in Denver.

Ballots are due Tuesday in the runoff election for three City Council seats, and accusations of political trickery are flying.

One of the more bizarre incidents took place Thursday night, when District 8 candidate Carla Madison received a message from a man who claimed to be working with a Denver Post reporter on a story about the sculptures in Madison's yard.

"We're going to do an article about the gargoyles and dragons in your front yard," the man says in the message, which Madison saved. "I wanted to get your take on the matter before we print this. Call us please."

Madison says when she returned the call, the man - who never clearly identified himself - seemed surprised when she described the gargoyles as harmless ornaments meant to ward off evil spirits.

"That doesn't sound very satanic," she remembers him saying. "Like he was expecting me to go off on how I was a witch."

Madison says she was even more surprised when her caller ID showed the name John Bailey - husband of her opponent, Sharon Bailey. "I can't believe he'd call from his own phone," she said.

Late Friday, John Bailey scoffed at the accusation, calling it a desperate act by an opponent "who's running behind."

John Bailey pointed out if he had phoned Madison, the caller ID would have displayed his wife's name because the home phone used is under her name.

The Baileys complained someone keeps removing Sharon Bailey's campaign signs.

Another apparent prank in District 8 involved a memo purportedly from the Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance asking ministers to preach on behalf of Bailey and raise funds.

Such activism could violate IRS guidelines on just how far nonprofits can go in supporting political campaigns.

"I saw the document -- it did not come from us," said Pastor Ralph Beechum of the House of Joy Miracle Deliverance Church. Beechum is leading the minister's alliance, which represents many of Denver's historically black churches.

Churches are allowed to invite candidates to speak and can organize get-out-the-vote drives,but can't use church facilities for overtly partisan activity.

A Madison supporter who saw the memo asked the Denver Election Commission and the IRS to investigate whether the churches were breaking the law.

Allegations of dirty tricks have been made in the other two council districts having runoffs.

In District 3, where Paul Lopez is facing JoAnn Phillips, it's been rumored that Lopez hasn't lived in the district for the required full year. Lopez was born in the district and spent most of his life there, but Phillips formally asked the Denver Election Commission to investigate.

Lopez has denied that he lived outside the district. "There's definitely dirty politics happening in District 3," said Gia Irlando, his campaign manager.

The political maneuvering sneaked into the District 7 runoff race May 24.

At an unrelated news conference at the Capitol, a Shelly Watters supporter asked Mayor John Hickenlooper about a campaign flier from the other candidate, Chris Nevitt, that had the mayor's name and picture.

Hickenlooper said he was "disappointed" in Nevitt because the flier misled voters into thinking he had endorsed Nevitt.

Watters' campaign manager initially denied knowing who asked the question but later admitted it was a Watters ally, Jake Schroeder, front man for the band Opie Gone Bad.

Before the event, former Councilwoman Joyce Foster, Watters' old boss, had called at least one reporter urging him to ask the same question. "The whole episode was the desperate act of a losing campaign," Nevitt said .

By the numbers

41,995 ballots mailed to voters in the three affected districts.

10,800 ballots returned so far.

26 percent turnout to date.

Ballot drop-off

The following locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday:

DISTRICT 3

• Barnum Recreation Center, 360 Hooker St.

• Schenck School, 1300 S. Lowell Blvd.

DISTRICT 7

• College View Recreation Center, 2525 S. Decatur St.

• Porter Place, 1001 E. Yale Ave.

DISTRICT 8

• Glenarm Recreation Center, 2800 Glenarm Place.

• New Hope Baptist Church, 3701 Colorado Blvd.

Other drop-offs

• Voters can also drop off ballots at the Denver Election Commission, 303 W. Colfax Ave., from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday. The commission will have curbside drop-off on the west side of Court Place between Colfax and 14th Street from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

• Information: 720-913-8683 or go to denvergov.org/electionsSource: Denver Election Commission

steerss@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2282 Staff writer Hector Gutierrez contributed to this story.

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