If you missed the Colorado Springs Gazette’s recent primary preview of former Congressman Scott McInnis and his competitor in the Republican primary for governor, Dan Maes, it’s understandable.

You’ve probably been busy reading about the flip-flopping accusations between McInnis and Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Hickenlooper.

But now, McInnis is being accused of a much more serious charge: plagiarism. That’s according to the findings of investigative reporters at 7News, which quotes McInnis’ campaign as admitting that substantial portions of a water-rights article for the Hasan Family Foundation submitted under McInnis’ name were copied from work that had been done by someone else and previously published elsewhere.

McInnis submitted the article as part of the work he did for the foundation, for which he received $300,000 over two years. A number of passages in McInnis’ “Musings on Water” closely match the text of a 1984 article by Gregory Hobbs, now a Colorado Supreme Court Justice.

McInnis spokesman Sean Duffy claims a research adviser provided the content to McInnis, adding, “We are looking at what other work [he] provided.”

But the Hasan’s foundation says it’s “shocked, angry, and disappointed,” according to a statement posted at Colorado Pols. “There were never discussions nor any knowledge by the Foundation that Mr. McInnis was working with a ‘research adviser.’ … [A]ll work was represented to be original and final. We will conduct an independent, internal investigation, and if the allegations are proven to be true, we will demand Mr. McInnis return all monies paid to him by the Foundation.”