Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Maes on Tuesday backed away from a claim that, as a police officer 25 years ago, he worked “undercover” with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Maes previously said he was fired as a police officer in Liberal, Kan., after working undercover with the KBI in a gambling and drug probe.

A statement he wrote on his campaign website that was later removed said: “At one point in my 2 years there I was place (sic) undercover by the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (sic) to gather information inside a bookmaking ring that was also allegedly selling drugs. I got too close to some significant people in the community who were involved in these activities and abruptly was dismissed from my position. I was blindsided and stunned to say the least.”

Maes was asked about the statement that he was placed undercover after law enforcement sources in Kansas disputed the claim in interviews with The Denver Post.

“Some people are probably taking that a little too literally,” he said. “I was a city police officer providing information to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.”

Maes said that he could not offer records to back that up.

“This was 25 years ago,” he said, adding: “It’s just not worth covering that much. It’s a nonissue.”

So was he really working “undercover”?

“Those comments might have been incorrect comments,” Maes said.

Who wrote them on the website?

“Whoever typed it, typed it. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Maes said, before referring questions to his campaign spokesman.

Later, his spokesman, Nate Strauch, confirmed that Maes had written the comments.

Strauch said Maes’ statement that he was working undercover was being misinterpreted.

“It’s not like he was jumping off of rooftops and taking small-arms fire,” Strauch said. “This was a small-time gambling operation he had inside information on. He was asked by KBI to look into the case further to provide them with information on an ongoing basis regarding the individuals involved in the alleged gambling ring.”

KBI: It didn’t happen

But the director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said it has no record of Maes working with the agency during his stint as a police officer from 1983 to 1985.

“We’ve checked our records. We’ve talked to people working in that area (southwest Kansas) at the time,” said Bob Blecha, director of the law enforcement agency. “He (Maes) refers to a gambling case and possible drugs. They (agents) don’t recall him working with them on any case like that.”

Blecha said some of the agents, most of whom are now retired, do remember Maes as a police officer. It’s possible Maes at some point cooperated with agents on small matters as other officers might, Blecha said.

But he stressed, “He (Maes) did not work for us or with us on an investigation.”

In the statement posted to his website, Maes elaborated on his work as a police officer:

“Much like Cory Voorheez (sic), I was a young officer caught in a situation that was much bigger than myself with no where to go. I am proud to say that I never participated in any illegal activity while undercover. Although this chapter of my life was yet another one where I fought the machine, I will not discuss the details any further as many who were involved in this situation are still alive and in new places in their lives and I want to protect them.”

Cory Voorhis was an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who was fired after accessing a restricted database in 2006 and passing criminal records to the campaign of Bob Beauprez, the Republican candidate for governor that year. Beauprez’s campaign used the information to attack then-Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter over his prosecution of illegal immigrants during his time as Denver’s district attorney.

The city of Liberal confirmed Maes worked there as a police officer from Sept. 21, 1983, to July 12, 1985. However, under Kansas law, Maes’ personnel file is not an open record, and city officials said they could not discuss the details of his termination.

Maes on Tuesday declined a request to consent to the release of his personnel records.

Second wife’s defense

In an e-mail to supporters last week in which she complained Republican “political insiders” were trying to force her husband from the race, Karen Maes drew upon her husband’s law enforcement experience, saying: “I know Dan to have stood up to corruption as a young police officer, this stance of integrity cost him his job.”

Maes lived in Liberal with the woman who would become his first wife when they moved to Colorado in 1985 (they divorced in 1988). She has not responded to interview requests.

Karen and Dan Maes were married in 1990, according to his website.

Rick Kistner, now 62 and retired in Florida, was the chief of police in Liberal during the time Maes worked there. He said he did not remember Maes but also did not recall his department being involved in an investigation such as the one Maes refers to.

“I have absolutely no recollection of anything like that ever happening, and if there was, I’m sure there would be ample documentation somewhere,” Kistner said.

Alan Morris, now 72 and living in Topeka, Kan., was the city manager at the time in Liberal and also had no recollection of the events described by Maes. He vouched for Kistner’s integrity.

“I never met anybody as straight and ethical as the chief,” Morris said.

Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com