Sen. Jeff Sessions questioned Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at a hearing Wednesday about a fired federal agent connected to a controversy swirling around the U.S. Attorney nominee for Colorado, The Denver Post reported today.
Jeff Sessions (Getty Images)
The Alabama Republican asked Napolitano why Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Cory Voorhis lost his job for accessing a restricted government database when his boss, Tony Rouco, wasn’t fired, despite a finding that Ruoco hadn’t been truthful about the use of the database, according to The Post.
Republicans have raised questions about whether Colorado U.S. Attorney nominee Stephanie Villafuerte asked people in the Denver District Attorney’s office to access the same database for political purposes. Republicans say it appears Voorhis was treated differently from Villafuerte.
Villafuerte, a long-time aide to Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D), has denied the allegations.
Voorhis was charged in 2007 with using the National Crime Information Center database to check the background on an undocumented immigrant whose case was featured in an ad by Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez. Voorhis said he was authorized to use the database by his supervisor. He was later acquitted by a federal jury.
“I am not personally familiar with this,” Napolitano said at the Department of Homeland Security oversight hearing, according to The Post. “But I will become personally familiar with it.”
Villafuerte has said her disputed contacts with the DA’s office in October 2006 concerned an alleged threat against then-candidate Ritter, not about accessing a database for political purposes, which could be a crime. Read our previous report here.
Colorado Republicans have called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate Villafuerte. Sessions is the top Republican on the Judiciary panel. Yesterday, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Justice Department to probe Villafuerte over the database allegations.
The Judiciary committee has yet to schedule a vote on her nomination. President Barack Obama tapped Villafuerte for the post on Sept. 30.
Everyone must be warned before coming to the United States. Even if you have a visa, you are putting yourself at risk of Homeland Security ICE officers. I have a best friend that is from Paris France here on an education visa to finish his degree. He has been here since 2005. His visa is valid until March of 2010, His passport is valid until 2014, and his I-20 is current. He is not illegal. In 2008 He fell in love and married a U.S. citizen that just happens to be addicted to Prescription medications, He knew nothing about this. But he was arrested due to her mistakes. He was placed in detention, scheduled for deportation. He has been in detention center in Pompano Beach Florida for 5 months now. All this because of her mistakes. She should be the one in jail not him. Please everyone coming to America. Think twice. This couple has lost all there savings on lawyers, she lost her job, and they are in the process of losing there home. All this was caused because ICE has the wrong person in jail. They make up any story they want and when they are questioned about it you get nowhere. I have written many letters to Janet Napolitano, Senator Bill Nelson, and even President Obama. But no one will listen to the truth. So please people think twice about coming to America for any reason. Our immigration system is broken ….they all agree, but you put your life at risk when you enter our borders. Even if you follow the rules you may also lose everything as this couple has. No one will listen, no one cares.