Yet more calls for Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis to step down are coming in, this time from some of the University of Colorado Regents who affirmed the decision to dismiss Ward Churchill from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Democrats Michael Carrigan and Stephen Ludwig released a statement Wednesday that chastised McInnis for engaging in plagiarism and said past candidates have stepped down for similar abuses and they feel McInnis should do the same.
A Denver Post story exposed former Congressman McInnis for having plagiarizes the works of Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs. McInnis has blamed his assistant, Roland “Rolly” Fischer, for not citing the work he contributed to the reports. McInnis was commissioned to write on water issues for the Hasan Family Foundation while working as a fellow.
Fischer in turn has said McInnis was responsible.
The regents had this to say in a release sent out Wednesday:
“Mr. McInnis has claimed that his plagiarism only matters because he is a candidate for governor and that it’s a non-issue. Nothing could be further from the truth. Plagiarism is stealing someone else’s hard work and claiming it as one’s own – this is no more permissible for a candidate or politician than it is for a college professor. In the past, the public, including many elected officials, demanded consequences for those engaged in plagiarism. We agree and think the same standard should apply to Mr. McInnis.”
The McInnis campaign released this statement Tuesday:
“In 2005, I accepted a water fellowship with the non-profit Hasan Family Foundation. Part of this fellowship entailed compiling a series of articles designed to promote public understanding of historical water issues in Colorado.
“In order to complete this project, I retained a renowned Colorado water expert. That expert, Rolly Fischer, spent nearly three decades with the Colorado River Water Conservation District , and is well-respected across the state. During our collaboration, he provided research for the articles.
“Regrettably, it has now become clear that much of the research was in fact taken from other source material without proper attribution. While I do not believe that this was a deliberate act, it was a serious mistake.
“It’s unacceptable, it’s inexcusable, but it was also unintentional.
“I made a mistake, and should have been more vigilant in my review of research material Rolly submitted.
“I’ve reached out to Justice Hobbs and the Hasan Family Foundation, and hope to meet with both in the not too distant future.
“We all share a deep commitment to Colorado’s future. In the coming days, I hope we can put this matter behind us, and focus on solving the many problems that face our state.”
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