COMPUTER TAMPERING INSIDE JOB

Secretary of State Donetta Davidson has asked the Denver district attorney
to look into possible criminal violations after someone tampered with her
office's Web page.

The culprit changed wording to say an anti-marijuana group spent campaign
funds on "propaganda" and "Nazi Party membership."

"It's horrifying," Deputy Secretary of State Bill Hobbs said Tuesday.
"The people expect the information they get from the secretary of stated
office to be accurate and fair."

Hobbs said a preliminary investigation points to a temporary data entry
employee hired for the summer as the culprit. The Web page changes were
done in the office, he said.

"It was not a hack," Hobbs said.

The employee left before the tampering was discovered, he said.

The DA's office said it will meet with Hobbs to discuss the complaint and
will determine later if it warrants an investigation.

The changes were made to records filed by Coloradans Against Legalizing
Marijuana, a group opposing an initiative on the November ballot.

If Amendment 20 is approved by voters, it would allow the medical use of
marijuana in Colorado for those seriously or chronically ill if approved by
a doctor.

Hobbs said the Web page was changed to indicate the opponents spent $136.86
on "propaganda," $3,829.19 on "Nazi Party membership," and $171.43 on
"chains and shackles."

"This is not just innocent fun," Hobbs said. "It's making that committee
look bad."

A spokesman for the opponents said there may have been several instances of
tampering, and chairman Mike Norton had sent a letter to Davidson
complaining about the incidents.

Julie Roche, one of the sponsors of the amendment, said the group does not
support such tactics.

"That's horrible, and it doesn't help us any. It's certainly not something
we condone or were a part of," she said.

Hobbs said the temporary employee entered about 30,000 records, and there
was no evidence of further tampering.

Hobbs said there is no way to check every record filed by the office.

"Right off, I'm not sure what you do about someone who is a good employee
and deliberately does something like that," he said.