The Denver Three - Support Free Speech!

memorandum

To: Reporters, Editors, Interested Parties
From: Denver Three
Date: Monday, June 27, 2005
Re: Documentation . All You Need To Know About The Denver Three Saga

In recent weeks, many new and important details have been revealed in the Denver and national media about the March 21 incident at a presidential event involving us.

In the interest of tying together many loose details reported in recent days and weeks, we compiled some documentation you may find useful.

As you know, there has been a pattern of the White House excluding citizens from taxpayer-funded events in CO, AR, ND, and NH because of their viewpoints and then blaming it on a "volunteer." The Secret Service has confirmed in Denver and Arizona that the person responsible for removing citizens was not a rogue volunteer, but rather a staffer from the event.s official White House host committee. The CO Republican Party made clear, "The White House is the host committee."

The Secret Service has also confirmed that we were kicked out of the event solely because of the bumper sticker on the car in which we arrived. They have now opened a criminal investigation about the potential impersonation of a Secret Service officer by a White House event staffer in Denver.

But the big question that the White House refuses to answer is . what marching orders or training does the White House give to event staffers that have resulted in a pattern of citizens across the country being removed from taxpayer-funded presidential town halls because of their viewpoint alone, not because they did anything wrong. When the same thing happens in state after state, it is not a coincidence, it.s a policy.

At a White House news briefing on March 29, Press Secretary Scott McClellan was pressed to find out what "marching orders" were given to event staff. He said he would, but it never happened.

At an April 27 White House news briefing, McClellan was asked, "I understand the White House knows who this person is. Will you tell us who this is? And will you, more importantly, explain what role the White House has in recruiting and training volunteers at these events? Is the White House encouraging people to screen or expel people from the President's events based on their point of view?"

The White House dodged the question. They are afraid of the answer.

On June 9, Colorado Senator Ken Salazar and Reps. Mark Udall and Dianna DeGette wrote a letter to the Secret Service invoking the word cover-up for the first time. U.S. Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO), Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), and Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-CO) are among eight out of nine members of the Colorado Congressional delegation who have condemned what happened to us and called for answers, and Members of Congress from the other affected states joined the call for answers.

Below is the documentation for your perusal. Please see our website www.denverthree.org for an online version of this memo, and feel free to contact us by phone for more information.

Alex Young, 720-335-2594
Leslie Weise, 303-523-0016

DOCUMENTATION BELOW:

1. Columns summarizing the pattern of excluding citizens . EJ Dionne, The Hill
2. Scott McClellan at 3/29/05 White House press briefing promises to get reporters "marching orders" given to event staffers . has not happened.
3. Scott McClellan answer at 4/27/05 White House press briefing contradicted next day by Secret Service/CO Republican Party
4. "Cover up" prospect raised in a letter to Secret Service from CO Sen. Ken Salazar, Rep. Mark Udall, and Rep. Dianna DeGette
5. Bi-Partisan Call For Answers: Republican Members Of Congress side with Denver Three
6. Secret Service confirms CO Mystery Man was "host committee staff person" not volunteer
7. Pattern: Articles about AZ, ND, NH
8. Pattern: White House "volunteer" claim debunked state-by-state, all arrows point to WH
9. Secret Service confirms Denver 3 were kicked out because of bumper sticker
10. Secret Service opens criminal investigation
11. Investigative report: One event staffer.s identity unearthed
12. Republicans say Denver Three deserve answers, 8 out of 9 Colorado Members of Congress say it was wrong to remove Denver Three
13. Members of Congress from Other Affected States Demand Answers

1 .ARTICLES/COLUMNS SUMMARIZING THE PATTERN OF EXCLUDING CITIZENS

New York Times (Monday, 6/27/05)
Evicted Denver Three Gain Support in Quest

The Washington Post (6/22/05)
The Tenacious Trio

Public forums are no place for Bush's thought police
The Hill (4/7/05)

E.J. Dionne Column - Washington Post (4/1/05)
Stepford Town Meetings

2 . QUESTION AT 3/29/05 WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING, McCLELLAN PROMISES TO GET REPORTERS THE "MARCHING ORDERS" GIVEN TO EVENT STAFFERS AT TOWN HALLS . HAS NOT HAPPENED

Q What are the marching orders that are given to the people at the door?

McClellan: "I don't know. I'll be glad to look into it and see what else I can find. I don't know if there's formal marching orders, as you referred to them. But I'll be glad to look at them." - link

3 . QUESTION AT 4/27/05WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING, McCLELLAN ANSWER CONTRADICTED NEXT DAY BY SECRET SERVICE & CO REPUBLICAN PARTY

Q: Back on March 21st, the President was in Denver doing an event. At that event three Denver residents were removed by somebody working on behalf of the President who is now being investigated for impersonating a Secret Service officer. I understand the White House knows who this person is. Will you tell us who this is? And will you, more importantly, explain what role the White House has in recruiting and training volunteers at these events? Is the White House encouraging people to screen or expel people from the President's events based on their point of view? - link

At Wednesday, April 27 Briefing McClellan Says Mystery Man Was: "A Volunteer" - link

Thursday, April 28, Secret Service on Mystery Man: "A Member of the Republican SSaff Host Committee" - link
Thursday, April 28, Colorado Republican Party on Host Committee: "The White House Is The Host Committee" link

4. "COVER UP" PROSPECT RAISED IN A LETTER TO SECRET SERVICE FROM CO SEN. KEN SALAZAR, REP. MARK UDALL, AND REP. DIANNA DEGETTE

On June 9, Senator Ken Salazar and Reps. Mark Udall and Dianna DeGette wrote a letter to the Secret Service invoking the word cover-up for the first time, saying, "It has been nearly three months since three individuals were removed from President Bush.s Social Security town hall in Denver...The lack of information from the Secret Service and the White House and their unresponsiveness toward this matter gives the appearance of either disinterest or a cover up."

Denver Post Column (6/10/05)
Lawmakers want in on the Secret

Rocky Mountain News (6/10/05)
Democrats fear cover-up in probe of ouster at rally; Salazar, Udall, DeGette, lean on Secret Service

5. BI-PARTISAN CALL FOR ANSWERS: REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SIDE WITH DENVER THREE

REPUBLICAN US SENATOR WAYNE ALLARD

"Republican Sen. Wayne Allard on Thursday became the seventh member of the Colorado congressional delegation to say that people should not be removed from a presidential event for a bumper sticker - as happened March 21 in Denver...In response to a query, Allard also said he disagreed with pulling someone from a presidential appearance because of a belief he might disrupt it."- Rocky Mountain News, 4/8/05

Republican Sen. Wayne Allard.s (R-CO) Chief of Staff: "I think they're entitled to some answers." . Washington Post 6/22/05

REPUBLICAN CONGRESSWOMAN MARILYN MUSGRAVE

Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO): "I don't think somebody should be removed from an event because of a bumper sticker." . Rocky Mountain News 4/6/05

Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO): "I really do believe in free speech, and if you try to quell people it just makes them more determined.So they just want to get to the bottom of this, and I think that's fair." . New York Times, 6/27/05

REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN BOB BEAUPREZ

Republican Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-CO): "It.s unfortunate. This kind of stuff should never really happen. At least as I understand it, these folks showed up . they.ve got every right to be there.... I wish and I had a name and maybe someday I could get a name.the White House does the deal. They literally come in and take over." . KHOW-AM morning show, 3/31/05
www.khow.com/hosts/peter-audio.html username: beauprez password: Beauprez

Republican Rep. Bob Beauprez.s (R-CO) spokesman: "We don't believe this should have happened to them. If it had been a Beauprez event, it wouldn't have happened to them." . New York Times, 6/27/05

".If someone has been targeted as someone who may dissent,. that is not grounds for ejection, Beauprez said" . Rocky Mountain News 4/6/05

6. SECRET SERVICE CONFIRMS IT WAS A "HOST COMMITTEE STAFF PERSON" NOT A VOLUNTEER

AP (3/31/05)
Secret Service: GOP operative removed 3 from Bush event
"It was somebody from the host committee," Secret Service spokesman Tom Mazur said. - link

AP (4/1/05)
Secret Service spokesman Tom Mazur said it was a "host committee staff person" - link

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS (4/28/05)
Lon Garner, the Secret Service agent in charge in Denver, said he never told the three that the man was "a Republican Party staffer." Instead, he said the man was "a member of the Republican staff host committee." Asked who was on that host committee, Garner declined to say. Rachael Sunbarger, spokeswoman for the Colorado Republican Party, said, "The White House is the host committee." - link

7. PATTERN: ARTICLES ABOUT AZ & ND & NH

ARIZONA

NORTH DAKOTA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

8 . PATTERN: WHITE HOUSE "VOLUNTEER" CLAIM DEBUNKED STATE BY STATE.ALL ARROWS POINT TO WHITE HOUSE

NORTH DAKOTA. February 4, 2005 Fargo Forum Headline: "Local Volunteer Root Of Do-Not-Admit Buzz." White House claims 42-person black list came from "overzealous volunteer." February 5, 2005 Fargo Forum Headline: "Mystery List May Trace To Team." Article contradicts White House, reports "clues uncovered Friday indicate a worker with the White House advance team may have been the culprit."
2/4/05: link
2/5/05 link

COLORADO (MARCH 21 INCIDENT): At 4/27/05 White House Briefing Scott McClellan Says Mystery Man Was: "A Volunteer." Next Day, Secret Service on Mystery Man: "A Member of the Republican Staff Host Committee" Colorado Republican Party adds: "The White House Is The Host Committee."
4/27: link
4/28 link

ARIZONA (MARCH 21 INCIDENT): A 3/31/05 Arizona Daily Wildcat editorial lamented that "not one person would take accountability for the incident." But the 3/22/05 Arizona Daily Wildcat quoted Jonathan Cherry, Secret Service spokesman, said "The host committee controls who gets in and who gets out." An event staffer at the venue where the town hall was held, commented on the admittance policy, "It's coming straight from the White House."
3/31/05 link

NEW HAMPSHIRE (FEBRUARY 16 INCIDENT): The NH Wire reported 2/23/05 that "Two pairs of staffers sat behind and in front of Mayer and Porter in an effort to block the anti-Bush shirts. For the next 20 minutes, the four staffers and two protestors played a game of musical chairs in front of the press while the president spoke." The 2/19/05 IndyMag reports on what the NH women who were thrown out because of their t-shirts saw next. "As soon as we left the safety of the media area with its banks of cameras and very interested reporters, and approached the Bush exit area (about 60 ft. away from the cameras), we were suddenly grabbed by plain-clothes officials who did not identify themselves and [were] physically thrown out of the event."
One woman was told "Time to leave" and "Don't make a scene." The other was told repeatedly, "You're out of here!"
2/23/05 The Wire link
2/19/05 IndyMag link

9 . SECRET SERVICE CONFIRMS DENVER 3 WERE REMOVED SOLELY BECAUSE OF BUMPER STICKER

Washington Post (4/23/05)
The three did not stage any protest at the rally and were later told by the Secret Service they were removed because their vehicle displayed an anti-Bush bumper sticker. - link

Rocky Mountain News (4/23/05)
The Denver office of the Secret Service interviewed the unidentified man shortly after President Bush's speech and discovered that he was not a Secret Service agent, although he looked and acted like one. The agency told the victims that the man was a Republican Party staffer who admitted ousting them solely because of a "No more blood for oil" bumper sticker on their car. - link

10 . SECRET SERVICE OPENS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

Rocky Mountain News (4/23/05)
Secret Service looks at charges
Man at Bush speech faces criminal inquiry link

Washington Post (4/23/05)
GOP Volunteer Probed on Role at President's Speech
3 Democratic Observers Were Ejected From Event - link

AP (5/12/05)
Secret Service confirms investigation continues in Town Hall ouster - link

11 . INVESTIGATIVE REPORT: ONE EVENT STAFFER.S NAME UNEARTHED

Rocky Mountain News (4/27/05)
Young Republicans chairman confronted
Woman bounced from Bush event recalls Klinkerman - link

"The chairman of the Colorado Young Republicans was one of the people involved in a March 21 incident in which three Denver residents were forcibly removed from a speech given by President Bush because of a bumper sticker. Jay Bob Klinkerman.The Secret Service and the White House know the man's name [who actually kicked out the Denver residents and looked like a Secret Service agent] but have refused to reveal it. Klinkerman said he had never met the man before the event March 21."

12 . 8 OUT OF 9 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SAY IT WAS WRONG TO REMOVE DENVER THREE

"Eight of Colorado's nine members of Congress have criticized the idea of barring people from seeing the president because of a bumper sticker." . Rocky Mountain News, 4/20/05 - link

Many full quotes above in sections 4 and 5.

1) REPUBLICAN US SENATOR WAYNE ALLARD
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/21/AR2005062101583.html
www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/37/10210/printer
2) REPUBLICAN CONGRESSWOMAN MARILYN MUSGRAVE
http://www.infowars.com/articles/ps/ouster_from_bush_even_blasted.htm
http://denverthree.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=28
3) REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN BOB BEAUPREZ
www.khow.com/hosts/peter-audio.html username: beauprez password: beauprez
http://denverthree.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=28
http://www.infowars.com/articles/ps/ouster_from_bush_even_blasted.htm
4) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR KEN SALAZAR
www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2793636
www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3844438,00.html
http://news4colorado.com/topstories/local_story_096181610.html
www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3681334,00.html
5) DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN MARK UDALL
www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2793636
www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3844438,00.html
www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3666158,00.html
www.aurorasentinel.com/main.asp?SectionID=8&SubSectionID=8&ArticleID=9367
6) DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN DIANA DEGETTE
www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2793636
http://www.infowars.com/articles/ps/ouster_from_bush_even_blasted.htm
http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3677785,00.html
7) DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN JOHN SALAZAR
http://www.infowars.com/articles/ps/ouster_from_bush_even_blasted.htm
8) REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN TOM TANCREDO
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/wp-print.php?p=4011

Only Rep. Joel Hefley has not commented on the issue.

13 .MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FROM OTHER AFFECTED STATES DEMAND ANSWERS

ARIZONA
Tucson Citizen (4/6/04)
Grijalva: Why were four people barred from Bush forums? - link

Arizona Wildcat (4/6/04)
Investigation called on Bush forums - link

NORTH DAKOTA

Fargo Forum
March 31, 2005
N.D. delegation wants Fargo list investigation - link


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