[img_assist|nid=2568|title=U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=175|height=214]A new television ad by U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Morgan) alleges Democratic opponent Betsy Markey could face up to five years in prison for not divesting her interest in a company that received government contracts while Markey was a U.S. Senate staffer.

The ad which began airing on broadcast TV on Tuesday, provoked a strong rebuke from Markey and her former boss, U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Denver), who said the ad was "a new low" in Colorado politics and a tactic of a "desperate" campaign.

In the ad, Musgrave renews allegations that Markey violated U.S. Senate ethics rule by co-owning Syscom Systems, an information technology company that received government contracts, from January until March 2005, when Markey was a staffer for Salazar.

Syscom received $2.8 million in government contracts from 2005 until 2007 and $1.7 million from 2003 until 2005, records show.

One part of the ad cites an Oct. 7 Greeley Tribune article about a complaint filed by 4th Congressional District GOP Chairman Ron Buxman with the U.S> Department of Justice alleging that Markey violated the federal False Statements Act.

Violating the False Statements Act carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Markey said the charges were groundless. Both the General Services Administration and the U.S. Senate Ethics committee  general counsel have said no rules were broken.

"The only reason they had someone send that letter was so they could use it in an ad saying that I'm somehow under investigation," Markey said.

Although Musgrave's campaign has been airing ads about the issue for several weeks, Markey said this latest ad was "Different because there is not even a shred of evidence or any truth whatsoever to any of the allegations that were made."

But Markey said she was "concerned (the ad) is going to hurt" her among voters.

Salazar, who despite his involvement with the allegations against Markey has largely stayed out of the fracas up until now, called the claims in the new Musgrave ad "sickening and false."

"I think these campaign ads from her have reached a new low in Colorado politics," Salazar said. ‘Congresswoman Musgrave should be ashamed of herself and the votes in the 4th Congressional District should be appalled by her blatant disregard for the truth." 

Asked to respond to the comments made by Markey and Salazar, Musgrave's manager Jason Thielman instead replied with a press release making new allegations about whether Markey engaged in "cronyism" with Markey's brother Tom, who worked as a senior staffer for the U.S. Department of Labor.

Syscom Systems received nearly $500,000 in contracts from the Labor Department while Tom Markey worked there, the release alleged.

The release made no specific allegations of wrongdoing or that either Betsy or Tom Markey committed a crime.

"Betsy'sname has already been clear by both the federl agovernmt neh tus ethics committee," Marter said.