Secretary of State Mary Herrera
Secretary of State Mary Herrera is under fire once again, this time from Office Administrator Manny Vildasol, who secretly recorded video in Herrera’s office and says he has turned it over to the FBI because it shows “issues of criminal activity and unethical behavior.”
Vildasol made that comment to KOB-TV reporter Gadi Schwartz, who included the allegations in a report about Herrera’s laptop computer being infected with viruses. KOB had a difficult time getting “a straight answer” on what exactly was found on Herrera’s computer, according to the report.
But Vildasol provided secret video he recorded of IT staff trying to get rid of viruses on the computer, including a program that disguises itself as anti-virus software and then puts pornographic icons on the desktop.
Vildasol was quoted by KOB as saying he took the video “because he was tired of working in a place where anything that could be seen as negative was brushed under the rug.”
“It is a cover up. Again, not to provide (anything) controversial, make sure there is nothing controversial that would possibly make it to the media and impact her re-election,” he said.
And then this about why he was recording:
“I can’t give over those particulars because that information has been given over to the FBI and they are currently investigating, but there are issues of criminal activity and unethical behavior and it violates not only policy and procedure but also the law.”
He didn’t provide additional details.
The FBI doesn’t confirm or deny investigations. Herrera, asked by Schwartz about Vildasol’s allegations, said they were politically motivated.
“I don’t know what his intentions are. You need to ask him. I don’t know why he’s doing it,” she said.
Here’s the full KOB report:
A growing chorus
Vildasol isn’t the only employee to publicly criticize Herrera. When he quit in March, then-Elections Supervisor A.J. Salazar authored a scathing resignation letter in which he wrote that Herrera runs “a crooked organization.” He said at the time that he turned his allegations over to the attorney general.
A number of former employees have backed up some of the allegations made by Salazar.
Herrera, a Democrat, is facing Republican Dianna Duran in November. Concerns about the way Herrera runs the office have prompted one prominent Democratic county clerk, Valerie Espinoza of Santa Fe, to support Duran. And Doña Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins, another Democrat, has expressed concern about whether Herrera can win re-election because of the allegations against her.