LR FOLLOW-UP STORY

Republican Scott McInnes now leads Ritter by 8

Tea Party supporter and backer of Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) Scott McInnis now holds a comfortable lead in the Governor's race over embattled Democrat Bill Ritter. McInnis is a former 4-term Congressman who represented the Western Slope (Grand Junction).

GOVERNOR – COLORADO (Rasmussen)
Scott McInnis (R) 48%
Bill Ritter (D-inc) 40%

BACKGROUND: Original LR Story from July 11

Hogan & Hartson is Democrat Governor Bill Ritter's former law firm. They specialize in governmental and environmental litigation. Now, the Denver Post has learned that the Governor awarded a no-bid contract made available by Obama stimulus money to his former law partners.

From CBS News 4 - Denver:

Gov. Ritter Steered Stimulus Money To Ex-Employer

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has awarded some of the state's first stimulus money to his former employer in a no-bid contract.

Ritter hired his former law firm, the Washington-based Hogan & Hartson, in a no-bid contract to review stimulus spending, The Denver Post reported Friday. It said the firm was paid $40,000 in stimulus money through June.

The firm has responded to the allegations. Continuing:

Many of Hogan's lawyers are Ritter supporters, and two who work directly on the state's stimulus issues are contributors.

A managing partner for the firm, Cole Finegan, told the Post that the work was of "tremendous importance." Colorado was due to receive about $3 billion in stimulus spending.