Denish to donate money from housing defendants

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Lt. Gov. Diane Denish says she’ll donate to charity any campaign contributions she’s received from the men indicted Friday in the housing authority case. At least two of the four have contributed to her campaigns over the years. “As has been my practice, I will donate to charity any contributions received from any individual who is indicted for a crime, including those individuals indicted today,” Denish said Friday in a statement released by her office. Denish, according to the money-in-state-politics Web site FollowTheMoney.org, has taken $4,000 over the last several years from Robert Strumor, the former bond attorney for the Albuquerque-based Region III Housing Authority. That agency is at the center of the case surrounding the misuse of bond money. Continue Reading

Weh: Guv must be ‘the role model for integrity’

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Potential Republican gubernatorial candidate talks about improving the economy, ending culture of corruption

Potential 2010 Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen Weh says his campaign centers on a “commonsense” approach to growing the economy and rooting out public corruption. “It ain’t a Republican thing. It ain’t a Democrat thing. It’s common sense,” Weh, who is traveling the state this month to talk with business leaders about the economy, said Thursday during an interview in Las Cruces. Weh, a businessman and former chairman of the state GOP, said he views the job of governor as being primarily about administration of the executive branch. Continue Reading

Republicans comment on housing indictments

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Friday’s indictments in the housing authority scandal revealed “another dark day for New Mexicans,” potential Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen Weh said in a statement released by his campaign. Weh was one of two Republicans who were quick to put out statements in response to the indictments. “Entrenched politicians who abuse their positions and our tax dollars have once again given all of us a black eye. Corruption at the highest levels of government will be the biggest issue in the 2010 campaign,” Weh said. “It’s time to elect leaders who will work with the attorney general, the U.S. attorney and all law enforcement agencies to root out corruption at every level. Continue Reading

A state agency promoting a private group? Hmm…

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Like many in the media, I received an e-mail on Thursday from James Flores, spokesman for the secretary of state’s office, that had nothing to do with the work of the government office that employs Flores. The e-mail, sent from Flores’ government address, contained a news release announcing that the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) was urging “swift confirmation” of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. What does that have to do with the work of the Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State, you ask? Nothing. Nada. Continue Reading

Almost half in poll say pay to play is everywhere

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Almost half of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said pay to play is “everywhere” in government in New Mexico. Of 257 voters, 117, or 46 percent, picked “It’s everywhere” when asked how prevalent pay to play is in New Mexico government. Meanwhile, 70, or 27 percent, said pay to play drives “most, but not all” decisions; 54, or 21 percent, said there is some pay to play, but it’s not a part of most decisions; four, or 2 percent, said pay to play is “not a factor; and 12, or 5 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

Housing authority indictments are a ‘glimmer of hope’

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Officials who have pushed for reform of the affordable housing system praise AG for bringing public corruption case forward “It’s about time,” were the words uttered by state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones earlier today when told that four men had been indicted in the drawn-out investigation into the misuse of bond money in the state’s affordable housing system. Arnold-Jones, an Albuquerque Republican, and Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, are among those who have previously expressed fear that political considerations could lead to the case being buried. Arnold-Jones said today’s indictments are a “glimmer of hope” that the law can win out over politics. “In order to make your laws mean something and in order for government or individuals to be accountable, they have to be held accountable by the authorities whose job it is to hold them accountable. This is the first step in that direction,” Arnold-Jones said. Continue Reading

Charges include fraud and money laundering

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At least some counts against Gallegos and others in the housing authority case relate to a loan made under the guise of purchasing land in Las Cruces Former Region III Housing Authority Director Vincent “Smiley” Gallegos is facing a number of felony charges including fraud, embezzlement and money laundering, with at least some of the charges related to a $300,000 loan Region III made to Gallegos in 2005. That’s according to the indictments against the four defendants in the case that were publicly released today. Gallegos, a former state legislator from Clovis, is charged in two separate indictments with a total of 12 felony counts including fraud, embezzlement, the fraudulent sale of securities and money laundering. He faces a maximum of 72.5 years in prison if convicted on all counts. Three other defendants are facing felony charges in the case. Continue Reading

Gallegos, others indicted in housing authority case

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This article has been updated.Former Region III Housing Authority Director Vincent “Smiley” Gallegos and others have been indicted by grand juries in the long-standing investigation into the misuse of bond money in the state’s affordable housing system. Phil Sisneros, spokesman for Attorney General Gary King, confirmed that indictments had been filed against Gallegos, Albuquerque bond attorney Robert Strumor and former Region III employees David Hernandez and Dennis Kennedy. He provided no other details, including the charges that have been filed, and said the AG’s office would release no further information. The investigation into the housing authority scandal has spanned three years. Two separate grand juries have met in the case in recent weeks. Continue Reading

Southern New Mexicans optimistic about spaceport

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By Vicki Nisbett It won’t be cheap to take a ride into space from Spaceport America — Virgin Galactic is selling tickets for $200,000 apiece — but many of the estimated 1,500 people who attended a celebration of the facility’s groundbreaking on Thursday in Las Cruces are still excited about the project. “If the optimistic views come true, it’s going to be pretty amazing,” Las Cruces resident Pam Carpenter said. “I’m a teacher in Hatch, and I’m anxious to see if there’s any repercussions up there and how it’ll help the community, the people in Hatch.” So would Carpenter go up into space? “Yeah, you bet I’d go, if it wasn’t my money,” she said. Officials have touted the economic and educational benefits they say Las Cruces and the surrounding counties will experience with the development of the spaceport. Continue Reading

Spaceport groundbreaking begins ‘a new chapter’

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Hundreds gather in Las Cruces on Thursday to celebrate construction of Spaceport America, which starts today with a groundbreaking ceremony With contentious debates about how to fund Spaceport America behind them, government officials gathered at New Mexico State University Thursday evening for the first of three celebrations of the facility’s official groundbreaking. Gov. Bill Richardson spoke at the celebration on the NMSU Horseshoe about the educational and economic development opportunities he predicts the spaceport will create in southern New Mexico. “I want you to remember this day,” he told the hundreds of people in attendance. “… Today, we celebrate a new chapter.” In his remarks, Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima said today’s groundbreaking ceremony will usher in a new era. “Tomorrow is going to start a new space age,” he said Thursday. Continue Reading

Arnold-Jones wades into gubernatorial race

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State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, R-Albuquerque, said late Thursday that she’s decided to form an exploratory committee as she considers running for governor next year. Arnold-Jones wrote in an e-mail that it will take about a week to “pull the details together” for a formal announcement. She made no further comments in the e-mail. Arnold-Jones said in May that she was considering whether to run for governor, Congress or re-election to her legislative seat next year. At the time, she sounded most excited about the possibility of running for governor, saying she is “interested in making sure that the system and the entities of state government serve people.” Arnold-Jones considered running for Congress last year but ultimately opted to seek re-election to her state House seat after she failed to raise as much money for a potential congressional run as she thought she needed to be successful. Continue Reading

Dem’s endorsement of Barela reveals GOP strategy

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This article has been updated.Perhaps most interesting about today’s already expected announcement that Republican Jon Barela will challenge U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., next year was the endorsement of the former state GOP vice chairman by a member of the state Democratic Party’s 450-member central committee. “I’m a lifelong Democrat, but I’m a New Mexican first. I’m enthusiastically supporting Jon Barela because I know he’s one of us and he’ll always put New Mexico first, and that’s more important than partisan politics,” Robert Aragon said today in a news release from the Barela campaign. In addition to holding the position in the state Democratic Party, Aragon is a Democratic ward chairman in Bernalillo County and a former state representative. The endorsement, announced earlier today when Barela formalized his candidacy at a news conference in the South Valley, reveals the GOP strategy: Paint Heinrich as a Nob Hill liberal who is out of touch with the more moderate district he represents. Continue Reading

New Dem poll has Denish leading Pearce, Wilson

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This article has been updated.A new poll released by a national Democratic group shows Lt. Gov. Diane Denish far ahead of Republicans Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson in potential head-to-head contests in next year’s gubernatorial race. In both cases Denish leads by 22 points, 57 percent to 35 percent, in the poll, which was conducted by the Democratic polling company Harstad Strategic Research of Boulder, Colo., and released today by the Democratic Governors Association. The survey, conducted between May 31 and June 4, polled 613 likely 2010 voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. “Clearly, Diane Denish starts off this gubernatorial race with a lot of goodwill among New Mexicans, and she is in a heavily favored position against either one of the well-known Republicans who ran in statewide elections last year,” the polling memo states. Denish leads both Republicans in the poll in every area of the state and among men, women, Hispanics and Anglos. Continue Reading

Third-party marketers were on someone’s radar

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Haven’t state officials repeatedly said in the midst of the current investment scandal that the fees being paid to third-party marketers who helped companies win state investment contracts weren’t on their radar? They have said that. In fact, Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for Gov. Bill Richardson, said this last month: “The state did not pay these fees, and the governor was not informed of any fees paid by private fund managers to third-party marketers,” Gallegos told me. “Those were private transactions, which were only disclosed after the state asked for more information about the fees from the fund managers who paid them.” Other officials have been quoted in the New Mexico Independent about the topic as well: “‘Until recently a review of a fund was about quality of the investment. Placement agents was not the first thing on the list,’ said Bob Jacksha, chief investment officer for the Educational Retirement Board. Continue Reading

Foy seeks contempt charge, release of documents

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An attorney for Amanda Cooper, who ran the Moving America Forward Foundation, calls the motion an ‘irresponsible publicity stunt,’ offers affidavit instead of documents Frank Foy, whose lawsuit alleges pay to play in the Richardson administration, has asked a judge to hold the now-defunct Moving America Forward Foundation (MAFF) and the Richardson political operative who ran it in contempt for refusing to produce records in response to a subpoena. Foy is also asking the judge in a motion filed Tuesday to order that records be turned over by the foundation; the woman who ran the foundation, Amanda Cooper; and the foundation’s accounting firm, Meyners + Co. Foy, through his attorney Victor Marshall, issued the subpoena in January. It sought a list of donors and other information from Gov. Bill Richardson’s nonprofit foundation, which took in $1.7 million in donations through the end of 2007. The foundation dissolved several months ago. Continue Reading