logo logo
Donate
    • Membership
    • Donate
  • Social Justice
    • Racial Justice
    • Climate Justice
    • Disability Justice
    • Economic Justice
    • Health Justice
    • Immigration
    • LGBTQ+
  • Civic News
  • Nonprofit Leadership
    • Board Governance
    • Equity-Centered Management
    • Finances
    • Fundraising
    • Human Resources
    • Organizational Culture
    • Philanthropy
    • Power Dynamics
    • Strategic Planning
    • Technology
  • CONTENT TYPES
  • Leading Edge Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Webinars

Nonprofit Newswire | GOP Candidate in Hot Water for Allegedly Plagiarizing Material Produced for a Foundation

Bruce S Trachtenberg
July 14, 2010

 

July 13, 2010; Source: Denver Post | A GOP candidate for governor in Colorado has landed himself in hot water after revelations that articles he wrote on water issues for a foundation apparently contain material lifted directly from an essay published over two decades ago. The Denver Post reports that a side-by-side comparison of Scott McInnis’ “Musings on Water” with a 1984 essay written by now-Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory J. Hobbs shows the newer works are a “clear case of plagiarism of both words and ideas.”

McInnis, who served in Congress from 1993 until leaving office in 2004, was awarded a two-year fellowship in 2005 from the Hasan Family Foundation and paid $300,000 to give speeches and write monthly articles on water issues that were made available to the media and distributed over the internet. The Post says the examination of McInnis’ writings, purported to be original, show, among other things, that the articles “are devoid of footnotes, endnotes or other forms of attribution.”

Sign up for our free newsletters

Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

Also, at least four articles, out of 23 installments from the series, “mirror an essay” written by Hobbs published by the Colorado Water Congress in 1984. In fact, one of his “musings” contains “four full pages that are nearly reprinted verbatim from Hobbs’ earlier work.” Although McInnis didn’t comment on the charges, a spokesman blamed a researcher for failing to cite the original material used in the articles and said they were submitted to the foundation only as drafts to be further edited before publication.

Seeme Hasan, chairwoman of the Hasan Family Foundation, released a statement saying that she was “shocked” by the allegations of plagiarism. She added that the work McInnis submitted to the foundation “was always represented as final. At no time, whatsoever, did Mr. McInnis communicate that any of the works were ‘rough drafts.’ Any representation that they were submitted to the Foundation as ‘rough drafts’ is absolutely incorrect.”

Dr. Malik Hasan, a member of the foundation board who hired McInnis to write the articles also expressed disappointment. Saying he was only speaking for himself, and not the board, Hasan said, “I’m going to suggest (McInnis) return a substantial amount of the money to the foundation.”—Bruce Trachtenberg

Our Voices Are Our Power.

Journalism, nonprofits, and multiracial democracy are under attack. At NPQ, we fight back by sharing stories and essential insights from nonprofit leaders and workers—and we pay every contributor.

Can you help us protect nonprofit voices?

Your support keeps truth alive when it matters most.
Every single dollar makes a difference.

Donate now
logo logo logo logo logo
See comments

You might also like
Big Tech Comes to Tucker County, West Virginia
Laura Harbert Allen
What Happens When Your NSF Grant Is Canceled?
Nicole Walker
Amid Job Corps Cuts, HBCU Leaders Are Stepping Up
Rebekah Barber
New Tariffs Will Likely Deepen Economic Burdens for Women of Color
Rebekah Barber
Black Imagination as Strategy: Reclaiming Creativity in Nonprofit Leadership
Coniqua Johnson-Reed
With Major Sponsors Out, Who Is Stepping Up to Support Pride?
Alison Stine

Upcoming Webinars

Group Created with Sketch.
June 26th, 2:00 pm ET

From Performance Management to Mutual Commitment

Fostering a Culture of Joyful Accountability

Register
Group Created with Sketch.
July 24th, 2:00 pm ET

Organizing in Divided Times

The Relational Infrastructure We Need to Protect Democracy

Register

    
You might also like
Conservatives Attack Nonprofits on Capitol Hill
Isaiah Thompson
Glass-paneled exterior of the Microsoft building.
Microsoft Axes Free 365 Software for Nonprofits
Isaiah Thompson
US Capitol Building
Tax Provision Would Give Trump Administration Unilateral...
Rebekah Barber and Isaiah Thompson

Like what you see?

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

See our newsletters

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Copyright
  • Donate
  • Editorial Policy
  • Funders
  • Submissions

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

 

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.