Pearce fundraiser co-host raises some GOP eyebrows

A fundraiser being held for U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M. on Friday in Roswell is drawing raised eyebrows from some Republicans who live in the eastern part of the state.

Among those hosting the event are GOP activists Diane and Dick Taylor, according to the event invitation. Dick Taylor is a Chaves County Commissioner. His wife is currently in a pre-prosecutorial diversion program after admitting to voter fraud earlier this year.

You might recall Pearce helping arrange last fall for a House committee to hold a meeting on voter identification and fraud in Las Cruces. Pearce was not a member of the committee but was allowed by the Republican chair to take part in the hearing, at which other Republicans testified about their belief that voter fraud is happening in New Mexico and that voter identification should be required to help prevent fraud.

There’s the rub. Diane Taylor admitted, according to Michael Sanchez, deputy district attorney in the Fifth Judicial District, to filling out and signing voter forms on behalf of her children. She’s currently on probation and, as long as she successfully completes the term, the charges will be dismissed, Sanchez said.

Pearce campaign finance Director Andrea Goff said the event is being hosted by Roswell oilman Mark Murphy and his wife Susan. She said the campaign allows hosts to pick their own hosting committees and it was the Murphys who selected the Taylors to help. She also said the campaign is not aware of Diane Taylor “being on probation for any wrongdoing.”

It was admittedly difficult to track down the resolution of the case against Diane Taylor. Though a police search of her home in February was well covered by the media, including the Roswell Daily Record, coverage of the resolution was not. And, for some reason, the case does not appear in the online database of New Mexico court cases.

Diane Taylor’s attorney told the Roswell newspaper for the February article that the questions were whether Diane Taylor signed June 2006 primary absentee ballots for her children and whether doing so was a crime.

Dick Taylor was not accused of any wrongdoing.

The fundraiser, being held Friday evening, will be attended by U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah and the ranking member of the Land Use Committee.