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Polis attacks Fitz-Gerald campaign donor

By Todd Hartman, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 14, 2008 at 7:28 p.m.
Updated July 14, 2008 at 7:28 p.m.

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Joan Fitz-Gerald

Joan Fitz-Gerald

Jared Polis

Jared Polis

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Jared Polis scolded 2nd congressional district rival Joan Fitz-Gerald for accepting $2,900 in campaign contributions from a gold mining company accused of human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"While it is hard to find many self-proclaimed 'green' candidates with ties to some of the world's most notorious mining companies, here we have Joan Fitz-Gerald," said a flyer issued by the Polis campaign Monday.

"She is proving how easy it is to be 'green' and still take corporate PAC checks from companies who bribe, spill toxic chemicals and abuse human rights around the world!"

The attack in the district's three-way Democratic primary was the sharpest yet from a Polis campaign that has made a theme out of Fitz-Gerald's acceptance of money from political action committees.

But Fitz-Gerald's campaign manager pointed out that Polis has accepted money from executives of oil and gas companies, as well as mining firms. He has also invested some of his personal fortune in those firms.

"I would ask Jared, as I have done before, to just stand up and say, 'Yes, I take this money,' " said Fitz-Gerald's campaign manager, Mary Alice Mandarich, who said Polis has personal investments worth between $250,000 and $500,000 in such companies.

"I don't understand how on one hand he can say it's bad, and on the other hand, he's doing exactly the same thing," Mandarich said.

Mandarich wouldn't speak to the issue of a donor accused of human rights violations. "We could go through every one of Jared's investments, which are millions of dollars, and find this kind of stuff," she said.

She noted Polis has accepted $4,000 from energy executive William Dore, who supports offshore drilling, and $2,300 from Alex Cranberg, who owns Aspect Energy "and who's in the paper (Monday) defending (Republican U.S. Senate candidate) Bob Schaffer."

Fitz-Gerald earned a 100 percent environmental rating from Colorado Conservation Voters during her years in leadership in the state Senate, Mandarich noted.

The nasty exchange comes as voters in the sprawling second district — covering parts or all of 10 counties in the north metro area and part of the Western Slope — are receiving mail ballots for the Aug. 12 primary.

Fitz-Gerald, a former state Senate president, is battling conservationist Will Shafroth and Internet entrepeneur Polis.

While Fitz-Gerald's campaign has the advantage of political experience and name recognition, it has found itself in a dogfight with Polis, who at last count had contributed $3.7 million of his own fortune to his campaign, a sum that promises to make this the costliest House race in Colorado history.

Polis' campaign manager Robert Becker conceded that Polis has accepted some money from energy company executives. "We've never denied it," he said.

"But the point here is, her campaign for Congress is taking money from AngloGold Ashanti that has ties to rebel groups in one of the bloodiest nastiest wars in the continent, ," Becker said.

Comments

  • July 14, 2008

    7:51 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Oh_Wise_One writes:

    Headline: Polis a Hypocrit, take Big Oil Money..... news at 11.

  • July 14, 2008

    8:09 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    gary writes:

    Jared Polis..his star just keeps rising!!

    In the Black Oil sky!!

    Nuff Said!

  • July 15, 2008

    1:10 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    JerryFunk writes:

    I am puzzled and disturbed to learn that the Anglogold Ashanti Mining company is contributing funds to a Colorado politician, and worse, that the money is being accepted. This is not a run-of-the-mill mining company. As one who has lived many years in Africa (including Zaire, now renamed the Democratic Republic of Congo) and as one who has served on the White House National Security Council, as Senior Staff Member for Africa, I am familiar with the company. They have a long history of many dubious operations in Africa. Most recently they have been specifically and credibly charged by Human Rights Watch (a responsible and highly regarded international organization) with making illegal payments to and supporting a notorious terrorist rebel organization, the FNI, in the mineral-rich and war-torn region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Why would any self-respecting candidate take this kind of money? Why would an African mining company, with ties to African terrorism, try to influence an election in Colorado? Who wants what from whom? What is going on here?

    Jerry Funk
    White House National Security Council, Senior Staff Member for Africa under President Carter

  • July 15, 2008

    4:11 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    policalreality writes:

    The fact is neither of these two candidates is worthy of this position. Joan Fitz-Gerald is a glorified house-wife who got a county clerk position in the suburbs and then back-doored her way into the State Senate position because the incumbent was taking bribes from Copper Mountain. Jared polis, well lets face it, MONEY talks. It is so sad that Udall is abandoning his post for the glory of the US Senate, and leaving a valued seat to two mindless drones who will vote on what ever the flavor of the week is. At least the third guy, who has no shot, is a conservationist, at least HE believes in something more than just winning. A sad day for Democrats everywhere.