Judge's ex-wife told not to talk
FBI wants silence on his alleged visits to site with porn links
By Fernando Quintero
Rocky Mountain News
Tuesday, August 14, 2007

VAIL - The ex-wife of the federal judge who presided over the high-profile trial of former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio said Monday the FBI told her to no longer comment about his possible use of his federal computer to access a Web site with links to porn.  The allegation against U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham came just days after the judge's visits to a Denver strip club were made public when a local TV station reported it had obtained transcripts of his divorce proceedings.

Marcie Jaeger, who divorced Nottingham in July, denied that she turned her divorce files over to the station, as reported.  She also denied ever talking with Denver police about Nottingham, as was also reported Sunday.

"I didn't talk to them. I didn't turn anything over to them," said Jaeger as she was leaving her large mountainside home near Vail to play golf and celebrate her birthday.

9News reported Thursday that divorce transcripts showed Nottingham had spent $3,000 at the Diamond Cabaret, a topless club.  He issued a statement Friday that the allegations were "private and personal matters involving human frailties and foibles."

The station quoted from transcripts of the divorce proceedings, in which Nottingham said he was "ashamed and mortified" to admit the expenditures at the strip club and said he couldn't remember details of his two visits because he had had too much to drink.

9News reported that Nottingham admitted spending $150 on what he called an "Internet dating site."  The station identified the Web site as -ipayfriendfinder.com, which offers links to pornography, dating and other services.

"When I asked about the dating service, he turned around in his chambers and he hit his computer and he told me all about the dating service.  It was a porn site," Jaeger said in court, according to the station's report.

She gave a similar account in an interview with 9News broadcast Friday.

The station reported that the FBI had questioned Jaeger about the possible improper use of his work computer.  The FBI has declined to comment.

In June, an Eagle County district judge ordered the couple's divorce proceedings sealed from the public.  Nottingham requested the file be sealed, according to the order, and Jaeger did not object.

Federal judges, who are appointed for life terms, are expected to follow a judicial code of conduct.  It reads in part:  "A judge must avoid all impropriety and appearance of impropriety."

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