Many New Mexico Democrats breathed sighs of relief last week when a report by KRQE-News 13 reporter Larry Barker about the FBI probe of government building construction in Bernalillo County didn’t name any current lawmakers.
Watch Barker’s full report by clicking here.
We’ve known for months that former Senate President Manny Aragon is a target of the investigation, but Barker provided the most thorough report yet on the scope of the investigation.
“It could be one of the biggest public corruption scandals New Mexico has ever seen,” Barker said in his report. “Sources confirm bribes, kickbacks, extortion and fraud dogged (construction of Albuquerque’s metro court) from the very beginning.”
Those Barker named as being involved in the probe are all “formers” – a former Albuquerque mayor, former metro court judge, former metro court administrator, former district judge. As the promos for Barker’s story ran in the Albuquerque area early last week, several politicos told me they expected a current Democratic legislator from the Albuquerque area to be named as a target of the investigation. That did not happen.
Barker laid out details of a widespread plot to take what he said could be millions of dollars. He said Aragon called a meeting with former Metro Court Chief Judge Michael Kavanaugh, now a district judge, and former Metro Court Administrator Toby Martinez several years ago and agreed to support funding for the construction of the new facility.
“But Aragon’s support had a price: Kickbacks, cash, under the table,” Barker said.
He described “clandestine meetings” and “envelopes stuffed with thousands of dollars in cash that were handed over to Senator Aragon and others.”
Martinez, Barker said, received thousands of dollars in kickbacks disguised as phony invoices. He is cooperating with investigators and expects to be indicted, Barker said.
Kavanuagh, Barker said, knew of illegal activity but did not take any money, and it’s not known whether he will be charged.
Barker also named former Albuquerque Mayor Ken Schultz, a lobbyist for one of the contractors in question. Barker said Schultz received thousands in cash that is being scrutinized.
The FBI is also looking into construction of the new district court in Albuquerque, and Barker said former Chief District Court Judge John Brennan was questioned by the FBI earlier this summer about the possibility that he steered a mutli-million dollar contract to a specific business.
In an interview with the Albuquerque Journal, Brennan’s attorney said the former judge is a witness, not a target, and did nothing wrong.
Schultz’s attorney told Barker his client has done nothing wrong. The others Barker named did not comment.
Barker said contractors and other lobbyists are also targeted by the FBI. The grand jury meets in December, and indictments could come in January or February, he said.