Democrats and Republicans keep a close eye on each other. So close, in fact, that sometimes just a few words can get a party member in trouble. Such was the case Thursday, when the conservative group Compass Colorado jumped on the House Democrats communications office for saying in a press release that one of its members is running for Congress.

A release from the House Democrats lamenting the death of a bill by Denver Democrat Joe Miklosi reminded readers that Miklosi is challenging incumbent Congressman Mike Coffman in the Sixth Congressional District. In a statement, Compass Colorado decried the comment, arguing that the release was using state resources for campaign purposes.

“This is yet another example of Joe Miklosi and his liberal allies committing campaign violations at the Statehouse,” said Tyler Q. Houlton, president of Compass Colorado.

The Democratic release, sent from Deputy Communications Director Megan Dubray, was about a bill aimed at helping veterans find jobs by allowing them to waive their confidential status as veterans, by creating a check-off box on unemployment forms. The bill was killed Thursday by House Republicans who said the measure was unnecessary.

“Rep. Miklosi, who is running for Congress in District Six, said he was disappointed that a common-sense bill to help get veterans back to work failed on a party-line vote,” the release read.

Use of state property for campaign purposes is “improper and unethical,” according to a memo from the Office of Legislative Legal Services.

Dean Toda, communications director for the House Democrats, dismissed Compass Colorado’s attack as petty and groundless.

“You can tell it’s an election year when a political attack outfit tries to twist a simple restatement of a well-known fact into a campaign violation,” Toda wrote.

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