On a September 22 CBS4 "Reality Check" analyzing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter's campaign ad responding to attacks against his record as Denver district attorney, KCNC reporter Raj Chohan declared -- apparently without any proof -- that accusations that Republican candidate “Bob Beauprez was behind the TV ads attacking Ritter” are “false.” Likewise, a September 26 Denver Post “Ad Watch” analysis of the same Ritter ad uncritically stated that because “Beauprez is not allowed to communicate with the Trailhead Group” by law, he “is not accountable” for Trailhead's statements in its ads attacking Ritter. In contrast, other media coverage reported on the substance of Ritter's allegations -- including the claim that there are indications Beauprez should be “held accountable” for the Trailhead-sponsored attack ads -- without reaching the apparently baseless conclusion presented by Chohan or the Post.

Ritter's ad, which, according to Chohan, implies a connection between Beauprez and the Trailhead-sponsored ads, was a response to repeated attacks on Ritter's performance as Denver district attorney by the Beauprez campaign and the Republican-backed Trailhead Group. As the Rocky Mountain News reported on September 22, “A Republican group unleashed the nastiest TV ad yet in the governor's race Thursday, showing an angry mother saying former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter gave a 'slap on the wrist' to a hit-and-run driver who killed her 4-year-old daughter during a Mother's Day stroll.” The same News article also noted that the Ritter campaign “accused Republican opponent Bob Beauprez, Trailhead and its offshoot [Coloradans for Justice] of exploiting a tragedy -- and working in concert in violation of campaign laws.”

As noted by Chohan and the Post, the Ritter campaign unveiled an ad on September 22 that used a Beauprez campaign slogan to allege that Beauprez was behind the misleading Trailhead ads. Ritter's ad asks viewers, “So who should be held accountable for these negative attacks on Bill Ritter?” before showing a clip from a Beauprez campaign ad in which he says, “I'm Bob Beauprez, and I want you to hold me accountable.”

On his September 22 “Reality Check” segment, Chohan dismissed the idea that Beauprez should be held “accountable” for the negative attack ads being run by Trailhead -- apparently because Beauprez denied any involvement with Trailhead. According to Chohan, “Bob Beauprez has raised the issue of Ritter's plea-bargain rate, but it's really the Republican-backed 527 committee, Trailhead Group that's been running the TV attacks on Ritter.” Chohan further stated, “While the Ritter campaign alleges” coordination between the Beauprez campaign and Trailhead “there's no direct evidence I've seen to prove it and Beauprez adamantly denies it. So if the ad is claiming Bob Beauprez was behind the TV ads attacking Ritter, the claim is false.”

Similarly, in a September 26 “Ad Watch” analysis of the same ad, The Denver Post uncritically stated, “The Ritter ad refers to statements made by Beauprez and by The Trailhead Group, a GOP group supporting Beauprez's candidacy, in press releases. Trailhead has also launched television ads attacking Ritter's record. By law, Beauprez is not allowed to communicate with The Trailhead Group, which operates independently, so he is not accountable for its statements.”

Neither Chohan nor the Post's “Ad Watch” explained the substance of the Ritter campaign's allegations, and neither provided any evidence beyond election laws and the Beauprez campaign's denial that the allegation is false.

In contrast, the Rocky Mountain News and a previous article in The Denver Post have reported on the substance of the allegations made in Ritter's ad, as well as Beauprez's and Trailhead's denials of coordination between the two groups.

As the Rocky Mountain News reported September 23, “While the ad about the girl killed in the hit-and-run was produced by Trailhead's offshoot, Coloradans for Justice, Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer accused the Beauprez campaign of illegally working in concert with the so-called 527 groups.” The News also noted:

Dreyer pointed out that Beauprez's campaign issued a bulletin Monday, vowing to release Ritter “cold case” files Tuesday. “A day later they completely reversed course, saying they received 'new information' and were going to stay positive in their campaigning,” he added.

“We believe that that new information was that Trailhead and this new 527, which is essentially the same people as Trailhead, were going to launch a new round of attacks,” said Dreyer.

Trailhead Executive Director Alan Philp said the Ritter campaign was dead wrong and that no collaboration with the Beauprez campaign had occurred.

Similarly, on September 24 the Post reported that “Bill Ritter's Republican opponent, Bob Beauprez, put out an e-mail last week promising to unearth several of Ritter's cold cases. But after the appointed day came and went without an unveiling, Beauprez campaign manager John Marshall explained the dud saying, 'We got new information, so we changed strategies.' ” However, according to the Post:

Later in the week, the Republican-funded Coloradans for Justice launched the toughest ad of the campaign season, accusing Ritter of lying to the family of a 4-year-old hit-and-run victim.

Coincidence? Ritter's campaign thinks not. Spokesman Evan Dreyer has accused the Beauprez campaign of illegally conspiring with the independent political group to get it to do the dirty work.

The Post also noted that Beauprez campaign manager John Marshall “denied the charge” made by Dreyer.

From the September 22 broadcast of Denver's KCNC CBS4 News at 10 p.m.:

CHOHAN: There's a lot of spin to sort out here. Bob Beauprez has raised the issue of Ritter's plea-bargain rate, but it's really the Republican-backed 527 committee, Trailhead Group, that's been running the TV attacks on Ritter. Federal law bars Trailhead from coordinating with the Beauprez camp, and while the Ritter campaign alleges this has happened, there's no direct evidence I've seen to prove it, and Beauprez adamantly denies it. So if the ad is claiming Bob Beauprez was behind the TV ads attacking Ritter, the claim is false.

From the September 26 Denver Post “Ad Watch”:

The Ritter ad refers to statements made by Beauprez and by The Trailhead Group, a GOP group supporting Beauprez's candidacy, in press releases. Trailhead has also launched television ads attacking Ritter's record. By law, Beauprez is not allowed to communicate with The Trailhead Group, which operates independently, so he is not accountable for its statements.