Speaker to make statement on Rep. Vigil situation

Speaker of the House Ben Lujan plans to make a statement soon on the situation involving Rep. Richard Vigil, D-Ribera, and indictments that were recently issued against his wife and three others in Las Vegas.

Vigil’s wife Roberta and three others are facing felony charges related, in part, to allegations that they misspent public money secured with the help of Richard Vigil on an annual, invitation-only party that was billed as training for employees of the West Las Vegas School District’s bilingual education program that his wife used to run.

Vigil is currently vice chair of the House Education Committee, and some have questioned whether he should continue serving in that capacity while the attorney general continues to investigate the situation. Whether Vigil is a target of the investigation is unknown.

I asked the speaker whether he believes the situation hampers Vigil’s ability to be an effective representative or a leader on the education committee, and he told me he is preparing a news release on that topic that will be issued soon.

I asked the same question of House Minority Leader Tom Taylor. He said it’s a complicated issue because “ethics is based on moral values, and those vary from person to person.”

Vigil requested additional capital outlay money for the bilingual education program this year, even after the situation with the party was made public, Taylor said, adding that he would never request an appropriation for someone with whom he had a close tie.

“I mean, you avoid the appearance of impropriety,” Taylor said. “That’s not his banner, obviously.”

It was one of the few appropriations the governor vetoed.

“(This year’s request) came after all of the public criticism and everything else that went on with the money, so obviously Richard doesn’t think there was anything wrong,” Taylor said. “It just indicates to me that, basically, Richard has a different set of values.”

But, Taylor said, he doesn’t know “that Richard necessarily did anything wrong.” He said the House “should wait awhile and see what comes out of” the attorney general investigation.

“I think in the process of that, if Richard was involved… then certainly, I think his peers will have some questions for him,” Taylor said.

Any move should come from the speaker or the House Democratic caucus, so it’s not political, Taylor said.

The state Republican Party agrees that the best course of action is to wait and see what happens.

“In this case, we are currently waiting for all of the facts and any remaining indictments to be handed down, but in the event that Rep. Vigil is deemed to be an integral part in the corruption scandal – whether directly or indirectly involved – we will certainly call for him to step down from his position on the education committee,” said GOP spokesman Scott Darnell.

Vigil referred questions to his attorney, who I was unable to reach for comment.

Update, 5:20 p.m.

Matt Farrauto, executive director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, had this to say:

“First, I think there is a legitimate question about whether it’s fair or appropriate for the alleged conduct of a lawmaker’s spouse to prompt a lawmaker’s removal from a House committee,” he said. “Second, the speaker of the House is the appropriate person to make a decision as to whether a state representative should be removed from a House committee.”

“That being said, for government to succeed at improving our quality of life, as it is capable of doing, the public needs to have confidence in our elected leaders,” he said. “That is why the Democratic Party of New Mexico has consistently urged lawmakers to avoid even the perception of public corruption and to abide by the highest ethical standards, and why we have condemned officials who have, by their own action or behavior, brought disrepute on state government.”