Susana Martinez
After being called out last week for falsely saying Lt. Gov. Diane Denish has done nothing to combat corruption, Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez is toning down the rhetoric a bit, now saying Denish has “failed to lead on the issue of corruption.”
The shift comes after NMPolitics.net called Martinez out on Friday for falsely claiming that Denish has done nothing to stand up to corruption, “not even a whisper.” As I wrote last week, Denish played an integral role in standing up to corruption in the state’s housing authority system and in winning legislative approval of reform of the system.
Here’s today’s statement from Martinez that contains the new rhetoric:
“For seven plus years, Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish has been part of an administration that has wasted taxpayer dollars, defrauded New Mexico citizens and abused the public trust. Now, as a gubernatorial candidate, Denish believes voters will ignore the fact that she failed to lead on the issue of corruption. As governor, I will put a stop to the nonsense and identify the corruption, remove it and my administration will hold to account those who have broken the law. Denish can claim anything she wants, but New Mexico voters understand that I am the candidate who will deliver bold change and get our state back on track.”
The statement comes in response to a new Denish ad that highlights the role the lieutenant governor – who is now the Democratic nominee for governor – played in reform of the housing authority system.