A review of filings with the Internal Revenue Service and the Colorado Secretary of State shows that several top donors to Attorney General John Suthers' election campaign have also written large checks to the Trailhead Group, a 527 organization which the Colorado Democratic Party has asked Suthers' office to investigate for possible violations of state law.

Trailhead is funded by a group of wealthy Republican donors and is responsible for repeated misleading, malicious automated phone calls to voters in 10 state house districts represented by Democratic legislators.

Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak in February asked Attorney General Suthers' office to investigate Trailhead for possible violation of Colorado Revised Statute section 1-13-109, which states "No person shall recklessly make...any false statement designed to affect the vote on any issue submitted to the electors at any election or relating to any candidate for election to public office."

Yet on March 21, 2006, the attorney general's office notified the Democratic Party of its opinion that "the Statements made by Trailhead...do not rise to the level of reckless disregard" for the truth.

Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak issued the following statement:

"Republican leaders know they cannot run against Democrats' record of accomplishment, so they have formed the Trailhead Group to conduct a campaign of character assassination. Now we know that four different donors to the Trailhead Group have also donated large sums to Attorney General Suthers' election campaign. This presents a clear conflict of interest.

"Several questions need to be answered. What, if any, subpoenas did the attorney general's office issue as part of its investigation of Trailhead? What, if any, letters or phone calls of inquiry did the attorney general's office send or make? What, if any, questions did the attorney general's office ask of the Trailhead Group? Finally, can Coloradoans count on the attorney general to investigate a group whose donors are also funding his own electoral ambitions?

"Law enforcement cannot be subject to partisan politics. If Suthers' office cannot objectively investigate Trailhead's activities he owes it to Coloradoans to recuse himself."

"In light of this conflict of interest we cannot help but note the irony that Suthers is scheduled to deliver a talk on Thursday entitled "Importance of Compliance with our Campaign Laws," Waak added.

Trailhead's 2005 IRS Form 8872 filing shows contributions to Trailhead totaling $176,000 from Jones International, Pete Coors, Cortland Dietler, and the Benson Mineral Group. Suthers' election campaign filings with the Colorado Secretary of State show contributions to his primary and general election campaign funds by Glenn Jones, Pete Coors, Cortland Dietler, and Bruce and Marcy Benson. The contributions to Suthers' election campaign made by these Trailhead donors were the largest amounts permitted under state law or, in one case, were within $1 of the legal limit.