Subscribe to ePluribus Media



ePluribus Media Store


Want Headlines via Email?
Enter your email address:


Help Save 1.800.SUICIDE

BREAKING: Colo. elections IT mgr. selling "voter data" to GOP candidates

by Todd Johnston rcs1
Thu May 03, 2007 at 09:38:41 PM EST

UPDATE
COMPLETE COVERAGE NOW AVAILABLE:

* CO state worker sells voter data to GOP, Sec. of State investigating




An IT manager for Colorado's state-wide voter database has been selling "targeted voter data" through a "GOP Campaign help" web site at PoliticalLiveWires.com. According to his online resume, Dan Kopelman is currently "Elections Technology Manager" with "oversight and guidance of the State Wide Voter Database" in the office of Colorado's newly elected Republican Secretary of State Mike Coffman.

Returning ePluribus Media's request for information, a spokesperson for Colo. Secretary of State Mike Coffman confirmed Kopelman's employment, but said the office was unaware of his "side business" selling voter lists and other web-based campaign tools.

Furthermore, after learning about the IT manager's "conflict of interest," Deputy Secretary of State William A. Hobbs met with the Kopelman and directed him to take down his campaign web site immediately.


commentary :: :: :: buzz-it!
"It is inappropriate for a state employee to be both overseeing and selling voter lists," said Dana Williams of the SOS's Elections Division, adding "we see this as a conflict of interest." Williams also stated the Secretary's office will be "looking into the matter" further.

Coffman was elected to office last November, but after a week was needed to sort out "bungled election counts" in Denver and Douglas counties. However, both Coffman and his Democratic opponent Ken Gordon vowed to work together to "fix" the state's election system.

Ferreting out employees like Kopelman would seem an ideal place to start.

Political issues aside, Coffman's office is responsible for selling its master voter registration lists.

In other words, Kopelman was under-cutting his boss  -- the Colorado Secretary of State -- by pulling, bundling, and privately selling the state's voter information.

Unless he bought the information within the databases he maintained, Kopelman actions may even constitute theft. And given that the Secretary's office was unaware of his actions, characterizing them as a "side business," it seems a stretch that Kopelman was regularly purchasing updated voter data.

In any case, Kopelman's political ideology seems clear. PoliticalLiveWires.com explicitly courts GOP candidates, provides links to The DrudgeReport and Rush Limbaugh as "useful resources," and streams headlines from CNSNews.com.

Also in his online resume, Kopelman states that from 1999 to 2002 he worked in Washington, DC under the "brilliant leadership of Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo." Tancredo (R-CO) is the controversial Republican Congressman who called Miami, FL a "third world country" last November. He has also announced his candidacy for U.S. president in 2008.

Digg!

Display:
BREAKING: Colo. elections IT mgr. selling "voter data" to GOP candidates | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden)
Outstanding. (5.00 / 6) (#1)
I get the impression that you guys are running down state election sites/data outsourcing, one by one... or was this just a chance discovery?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
by wanderindiana on Thu May 03, 2007 at 10:04:28 PM EST
nope (5.00 / 4) (#3)
nothing systematic in terms of investigation on our part, just coincidence that every state elections systems have probably been compromised by partisan hacks.

by intranets on Thu May 03, 2007 at 10:23:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
MSM (5.00 / 3) (#4)
contacted?

by rba on Thu May 03, 2007 at 10:38:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
can't say I'm surprised (5.00 / 7) (#2)
This follows the trends observed in New Mexico, Florida, and Ohio but those stories related to the SOS election night outsourcing.

New Mexico let's ES&S handle their voter registration data and webpage.

This story seems to be a slight variation on improper SOS handling of election results and voter data.  I'm willing to bet if you checked every state, you'll find many more examples of improper outsourcing and integration into "Voter Vault" type applications.  In fact, the 72 hours and Voter Vault powerpoint slides encourage people to actively share their mailinglists, and other databases with GOP votervault.

by intranets on Thu May 03, 2007 at 10:20:57 PM EST

Show him the door............. (5.00 / 2) (#5)
no way should this guy keep his job......!

by avahome on Thu May 03, 2007 at 10:41:48 PM EST
Kopelman's site has been changed. (5.00 / 4) (#6)
Not sure how or when, but you can find the old site here for the time being.

Also archived here.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
by wanderindiana on Thu May 03, 2007 at 11:10:23 PM EST

Digg it here: (5.00 / 4) (#7)
Digg it NOW!


by luaptifer on Thu May 03, 2007 at 11:22:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Good idea, luaptifer (5.00 / 3) (#9)
done and invited others to join. Thanks!

by Cho on Fri May 04, 2007 at 12:36:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]
domain registration (5.00 / 6) (#8)
Did you check out the domain lincolndaydinner.com
that is featured by "Political Live Wires"??

Domain Name:LINCOLNDAYDINNER.ORG
Created On:23-Jun-2003 19:17:30 UTC
Registrant Name:Political Live Wires
Registrant Organization:Political Live Wires
Registrant Street1: XXXXX S Mobile St
Registrant City:Aurora
Registrant State/Province:CO
Registrant Postal Code:80016
Registrant Email:dkopelman@XXXXXXXX.com

Rocky Mt. News

Dan Kopelman will serve the panel representing Secretary of State Mike Coffman. He has an Associates Degree in Electronics Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology from DeVry Institute of Technology, as well as a Masters in Computer Information Systems with an emphasis on Software Engineering from the University of Denver. Currently, he is the System Administrator and Manager of Unclaimed Property in the office of Colorado State Treasurer.

Also, this same Dan Kopelman appears to be involved with Young Republican usual dirty tricks and Press Release discussed by Rocky Mountain News.  He is also posting to ColoradoSenate.com as some form of communications director in 2004.  (His email dated back to 1997 online)

His credentials include:

  • Dan Kopelman, [Leadership Program of Rockies] 1998- Staffer, Secretary of State Mike Coffmann
  • Dan Kopelman, Vice-President of Jewish Republicans of Colorado
  • Dan Kopelman, past President Denver Metro Young Republicans (2004)

Pictured here photographed along side Coulter and Horowitz.  Sounds about right...

by intranets on Thu May 03, 2007 at 11:40:49 PM EST
Don't overlook that picture (5.00 / 3) (#10)
with Marc Racicot. Racicot had just left his job as RNC chairman to become Bush's re-election campaign chairman when that picture was taken.

"To the politician and a priest
We're in the belly of the beast
Because we fed it"

Amos Lee, "Freedom"

by Todd Johnston on Fri May 04, 2007 at 02:19:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Todd - see your email !!!! n/t (none / 0) (#13)


by kfred on Fri May 04, 2007 at 10:46:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
(Comment Deleted) (5.00 / 2) (#11)

This comment has been deleted by intranets



by intranets on Fri May 04, 2007 at 06:44:34 AM EST
Please (5.00 / 2) (#12)
keep this rewritten/updated as information comes in.  Graph here, a graph there, pretty soon it's like . . . a news article.

by rba on Fri May 04, 2007 at 07:27:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]
BREAKING: Colo. elections IT mgr. selling "voter data" to GOP candidates | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden)

Support ePluribus Media -- Support Citizen Powered Journalism!

ePluribus Media

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

members


community front page

make a new account


Username:
Password:

recent commentaries

front page

Tuesday November 27th
• Nick Benton's Corner: We Are All Immigrants (0 comments)
• The Holocaust is Real (1 comments)

Monday November 26th
• Australian Elections (0 comments)
• "Coming Home: Soldiers and Drugs," (1 comments)
• NM-03: A Native American Hat in the Ring? (1 comments)
• Race and New Media: A Conference (0 comments)
• Lott Retiring From The Senate? (1 comments)
• Beauty for our Souls - NYC edition (4 comments)
• An 'American' Success Story (1 comments)
• Ohio's Dann Asked to Probe Allegations of Fraud in 2004 Ohio Election (2 comments)

older stories...

create account | faq | search | community front page |