February 06, 2009 06:18 PM UTC

At Least He's Not Your Campaign Office Manager

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• by: Colorado Pols

As the Denver Post reports:

A wide-ranging investigation has been launched into allegations that a well-known Pueblo resident has molested many boys over the years, including most recently when he was the manager for Sen. John McCain’s presidential-campaign office in Pueblo.

Under investigation is Jeffrey Claude Bartleson, 52, who was arrested Jan. 29 and then re-arrested Wednesday after a campaign worker in the McCain office told police she believed Bartleson molested one of her sons.

Sgt. Brett Wilson, who heads the Pueblo Police Department’s special victims unit, said today that there are “several active investigations” involving Bartleson…

In June 2003, then-Rep. Scott McInnis praised Bartleson in a tribute at the U.S. House of Representatives.

In the tribute, McInnis noted that “in his capacity as a foster parent, Jeff has helped several youth in the region through his work with the Young Life Association and the El Pueblo Boys and Girls Ranch.”

David Dill, chairman of the Pueblo County Republican Party, said today that although Bartleson headed the McCain campaign office in Pueblo, Bartleson does not hold any position with the Pueblo County Republican Party. He attended a few meetings of the organization, but that was the extent of his involvement, said Dill.

Dill said he believed that Bartleson directed McCain efforts in southern Colorado. State GOP officials said today they had no contact with Bartleson.

We’re not going to get into the usual yucking it up over some new example of GOP sex-scandal schadenfreude. Messing with people’s kids is no laughing matter. No doubt anyone who associated with this man, or aided him in establishing himself in positions of trust, is sufficiently ashamed and introspective today that no gratuitous character plinking is needed.

And as parents who can sometimes be found juggling children in various political settings, well, obviously, it’s horrifying, and our thoughts are with the victims.