Madrid, Richardson need to show they’re not part of ‘pay-to-play’ system

Repeatedly in the past few months I’ve read articles about various New Mexico leaders receiving large political donations from companies about the same time they made decisions that favored those companies.

Repeatedly, the politicos have said the donations didn’t affect policy decisions. They say they aren’t part of any alleged “pay-to-play” culture that exists in New Mexico.

Obviously, the donors think such a system exists here, or they wouldn’t be giving such donations. It isn’t as though corporate giants are giving out of the goodness of their hearts, at least in most instances.

The man whose actions most often coincide with donations is Gov. Bill Richardson. Attorney General Patricia Madrid has also been in the news a couple of times recently for the same issue.

The newest example is that Madrid received $10,000 from a group that operates prisons in the state weeks after she issued a legal opinion backing its proposal to build a prison in Clayton. In May, we learned that Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino owner Stan Fulton gave $100,000 to a political action committee formed by Madrid weeks after she officially opposed the proposal to build a casino in Anthony that Fulton wants to kill.

Fulton, a longtime Republican donor, makes no secret about the fact that he has tossed around money in this casino battle in an effort to win friends, including New Mexico State University and the Gadsden Independent School District.

As for Richardson, there are so many examples. The standard, tired answer is that the donations don’t affect policy decisions.

Let’s not forget the statement by our former state treasurer, who said this is the way business is done in New Mexico.

I’m not accusing Richardson or Madrid of anything. However, the reality is that pay-to-play has been prevalent in state politics for quite some time. Both have been around long enough to know that.

If they aren’t involved in that system, they need to reject donations that could create such an appearance.