Did businessman get special treatment from DOT?

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Did an Española businessman get special treatment from the state when it moved through his area, trying to secure a number of parcels of private land needed for a road project? That’s the question the Albuquerque Journal probes today. Consider this e-mail from a top official with the state Department of Transportation (DOT) to Jim Franken, vice chairman of the state Transportation Commission: “Hi Commish! I know you’re getting pressure from our friend to resolve Mr. Atencio’s issue. I know it is taking a while but it by no means (is) being ignored. Continue Reading

Guv: Negotiating release of journalists a ‘poker game’

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This article has been updated.The battle surrounding the detention and sentencing of two American journalists in North Korea is “a high-stakes poker game,” Gov. Bill Richardson said today during a national television interview. He also said this might be the time to try to secure the release of the journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were sentenced earlier today to 12 years in labor camps for illegal entry into the country, “hostile acts” and spying. “This is a high-stakes poker game,” Richardson said on NBC’s “Today” show, according to The Associated Press. “… In previous instances where I was involved in negotiating, you could not get this started until the legal process had ended.” CNN reported earlier today that Obama administration officials have floated to the North Korean government the idea of sending either Richardson or former Vice President Al Gore to that nation to negotiate the release of the journalists. Ling and Lee work for California-based Current TV, which Gore co-founded. Continue Reading

CNN: Guv might be headed to North Korea

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Gov. Bill Richardson might be called upon once again to travel to North Korea to negotiate with the government of the rogue nation. CNN is reporting that Obama administration officials have floated to the North Korean government the idea of sending either Richardson or former Vice President Al Gore to that nation to negotiate the release of two U.S. journalists who were sentenced earlier today to 12 years in labor camps there. The journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, were accused of illegal entry into the country, “hostile acts” and spying. They work for California-based Current TV, which Gore co-founded. According to CNN, the North Koreans have not responded to the possibility of a visit from Gore or Richardson, but the Obama administration expects that, now that the trial has ended, the North Koreans will OK a visit from one of the two to seek the journalists’ release. Continue Reading

Retirement board chairman wants subpoenas released

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The chairman of the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board (ERB) wants the agency to reconsider its decision to withhold release of federal grand jury subpoenas it has received. The Friday letter from Bruce Malott to ERB General Counsel Christopher Schatzman states that Malott wants to discuss the issue during an upcoming board meeting if Schatzman is unwilling to reconsider. “… sunlight is the best disinfectant,” Malott’s letter states. “… when in doubt, I expect our staff to put its collective thumb on the scale in favor of disclosure, rather than nondisclosure.” Late last month, the ERB and State Investment Council (SIC) both denied requests from me and others for copies of subpoenas from the U.S. Attorney’s Office related to investments. In denying my request, Schatzman cited the exemption to the state’s Inspection of Public Records Act that allows for denial “as otherwise provided by law,” and wrote in his letter that the federal public records law in some instances exempts records compiled for law enforcement purposes. Continue Reading

Keller proposes sweeping investment reforms

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The Legislative Investments Oversight Committee meets Monday, and Sen. Tim Keller is announcing a sweeping reform proposal that a news release from the Albuquerque Democrat says would “preserve the sanctity of our state funds and work to restore public faith in our investment process.” Keller, a member of the committee, plans to discuss his proposal at the meeting, which comes as the state investment process is under scrutiny because of a third-party marketer scandal that started in New York and has spread to at least 30 other states, most notably New Mexico. Among the reforms Keller is proposing are creating a formal oversight committee structure; redesigning the investment structure to separate stakeholders, experts and staff; requiring a public fund prospectus; requiring tracking of allocation and performance of “peer” funds; and, to reduce conflicts of interest, ending the use of advisors and fund managers. “The recent issues surrounding our state funds speak to a clear need for better performance, accountability and the mitigation of conflicts of interest in our investment operations,” Keller said in the release. “We need to address the structural causes that allowed this to happen. The public deserves more than just knowing what has been occurring inside our state investment funds. Continue Reading

Anthony Correra worked closely with SIC

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It’s been widely reported in recent weeks that Gov. Bill Richardson has a very close relationship with Anthony Correra, whose son, Marc Correra, shared in as much as $16 million in finders’ fees for winning investment companies big contracts in New Mexico. In a weekend article, the Albuquerque Journal provides new insight into the close relationship Anthony Correra had with the State Investment Council (SIC), which Richardson controls. New details on Anthony Correra, from the Journal: “• Although not an employee, he was temporarily provided work space at the SIC office after Bill Richardson became governor in January 2003. “• Correra attended meetings between representatives of the office and a Texas company seeking a state investment. “• He was appointed director of a private company to fill a seat allocated to the State Investment Council after it made an investment in the company.” Among the companies Marc Correra helped win state investment deals was Vanderbilt Financial. Continue Reading

Most voters in poll say don’t call in guv on N. Korea

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The majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said President Barack Obama should not call on Gov. Bill Richardson to help resolve the current situation with North Korea. Of 249 voters, 144 or 58 percent, said Obama should not call on Richardson, while 99, or 40 percent, said he should, and six, or 2 percent, said they don’t know. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Guv was in T or C while Obama officials were in ABQ

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“Previous commitments” kept Gov. Bill Richardson from attending an event with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder held today in Albuquerque, Richardson’s office said. The governor’s office sent out a news release on Wednesday notifying the media that Richardson would be in Truth or Consequences today to “speak at the change of command ceremony for the US Customs and Border Protection in T or C” and “receive a briefing from the US Customs and Border Protection on the border status.” He also announced “the name of the State Parks employee receiving the Western States Officer of the Year Award by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators” at a ceremony in T or C, according to the release. After those events, Richardson spent this afternoon, according to the news release, filming “a number of public service announcements for New Mexico State Parks and the Department of Tourism near Elephant Butte.” Napolitano and Holder were in Albuquerque to announce the Obama administration’s new counternarcotics strategy. It’s worth noting that at least one press report has suggested that the federal investigation into allegations of pay to play in the Richardson administration has now been handed off to officials at the Justice Department in Washington. Holder, who heads that agency, would not answer questions today about the investigation. Continue Reading

Journal reporter: Bring in guv to deal with N. Korea

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This week’s non-scientific poll on this site asks whether President Barack Obama should call on Gov. Bill Richardson to help resolve the current situation with North Korea. The Albuquerque Journal’s Leslie Linthicum, who has traveled to the rogue nation with the governor, says that’s exactly what the Obama administration needs to do. In a commentary published today in the newspaper, Linthicum notes that “where we are right now with North Korea is exactly where we’ve been… and been… and been before.” Except for one difference: “Our governor isn’t the face of the crisis. In fact, he’s been conspicuously absent…” Richardson hasn’t been as visible on the national stage since the ongoing pay-to-play probe forced him to withdraw his nomination to be commerce secretary in January, but he has done at least one TV interview on the current situation with North Korea and has said he is in touch with the Obama administration about the situation. It’s no secret that Richardson is an excellent negotiator. Continue Reading

Guess who the NMFA rents its office space from?

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Sonny Otero, who gave Richardson’s re-election campaign $50K in 2006 after his family made millions selling land to the state, also makes $26K a month from NMFA lease I wrote a couple of weeks ago about a land deal the feds should add to the list of things they’re investigating as part of their probe into allegations of pay to play in the Richardson administration. It’s a deal in which the state paid the family of Santa Fe contractor Sonny Otero millions for a parcel of land it apparently didn’t need. Then Richardson got a $50,000 campaign contribution from Otero for his 2006 re-election campaign. Now The Santa Fe New Mexican is reporting on another deal Otero has with a state agency. He’s currently making $26,000 a month as landlord for the New Mexico Finance Authority, an agency that is tied up in the investigation into allegations that CDR Financial Products received a state investment contract that paid almost $1.5 million in exchange for $110,000 in contributions to two Richardson political committees and his 2006 gubernatorial re-election campaign. Continue Reading

AG to take housing authority case before grand jury

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Attorney General Gary King will take his investigation into the housing authority scandal before a grand jury Friday with the intent of securing indictments, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed. The source provided no other details about how long the grand jury will meet or who might be targeted by the AG. King’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but usually refuses to comment on or even acknowledge grand jury proceedings, which are secret. It’s the second time King has scheduled a grand jury in the drawn-out investigation of the scandal in the state’s affordable housing system. After subpoenaing multiple witnesses to appear before a grand jury in February, King called it off. Continue Reading

Wall Street Journal ignoring facts in its attack on King

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At best, business-friendly newspaper is doing shoddy reporting. At worst, it has ulterior motives for distorting the truth with its ‘pay-to-sue’ allegation. The Wall Street Journal went after New Mexico Attorney General Gary King this weekend for a third time in its ongoing “pay-to-sue” assault. Its new editorial reveals that the newspaper is not treating King fairly and is doing a disservice to its readers. The Journal editorial left out a number of facts that contradict its claim that King took massive campaign contributions from a Texas lawyer who has a contract to sue a pharmaceutical company on behalf of the state. At best, it’s shoddy reporting. Continue Reading

State investment officer fighting with IRS over $577K

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Did you catch that the Internal Revenue Service has filed a tax lien of more than $577,000 against State Investment Officer Gary Bland and his wife for not paying income taxes? Bland disputes the IRS’ claim that he has unpaid taxes. We’re talking about the man who is responsible for some $11 billion in state investments for an agency — the State Investment Council — that finds itself tied up in the nationwide investment scandal that has already led to criminal charges in New York. And now we learn, thanks to the Albuquerque Journal, about Bland’s personal battle with the IRS over hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition, according to the Journal, “a California court has entered a judgment of $42,594 against Bland in a lawsuit brought by the Bank of Stockton for unpaid debt. Continue Reading

Weh to travel the state to meet with business leaders

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Potential 2010 Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen Weh announced today that he’s traveling the state in the next two weeks to talk with business leaders and small-business owners about the economy. “I want to hear about their struggles in keeping jobs, but I also want to hear about what they want done in the future,” he said in a news release. “For the last eight years, Bill Richardson and Diane Denish have shackled New Mexico businesses with taxes that are higher than our bordering states, as well as excessive, often irrational, regulations. All of this combined drives business away from New Mexico and costs our economy jobs. It’s time to think different.” Weh, who has formed an exploratory committee as he considers running for governor, will visit 26 New Mexico counties and travel 2,500 miles, according to the news release. Continue Reading

FEC dismisses complaint of illegal coordination in CD1

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This article has been updated.The Federal Election Commission has dismissed a complaint alleging illegal coordination of advertising efforts between former 1st Congressional District Republican candidate Darren White and the state GOP in last year’s election. In a May 29 letter, the FEC notified White’s attorney, Christopher Collins, that its investigation turned up no evidence that White or his campaign illegally coordinated with the Republican Campaign Committee of New Mexico (RCCNM). The Democratic Party of New Mexico filed the complaint, which cited White’s membership on the state GOP’s executive committee as its evidence, last year. The complaint alleged that the White campaign illegally coordinated with the RCCNM in the creation of a TV ad attacking White’s opponent, Democrat Martin Heinrich, who went on to win the race. “White denies any coordination between himself and RCCNM, and maintains he had no part in creating nor did he assent to the creation and airing of (the ad),” the FEC letter states. Continue Reading