{"id":101440,"date":"2015-11-17T12:59:14","date_gmt":"2015-11-17T19:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=101440"},"modified":"2015-11-18T06:59:56","modified_gmt":"2015-11-18T13:59:56","slug":"inconsistent-reporting-hurts-efforts-to-follow-political-money-in-nm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2015\/11\/inconsistent-reporting-hurts-efforts-to-follow-political-money-in-nm\/","title":{"rendered":"Inconsistent reporting hurts efforts to follow political money in NM"},"content":{"rendered":"

In response to an investigation<\/a> by a TV news organization, which found discrepancies in how candidates and lobbyists are reporting campaign contributions, some legislative leaders are asking for better rules that will\u00a0improve transparency.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p>

A statue outside the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.<\/p><\/div>\n

“We know that you share our desire to promote transparency in campaign finance and would appreciate your assistance in this regard,” Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen and House Majority Leader Nate Gentry wrote in a recent letter<\/a> to acting Secretary of State Mary Quintana.<\/p>\n

They’re asking Quintana’s\u00a0office to create rules clarifying how lobbyists should report campaign contributions they or their clients make to candidates.<\/p>\n

The recent criminal case<\/a> against\u00a0former Secretary of State Dianna Duran revealed that\u00a0lobbyists reported contributions to Duran’s campaigns she never reported receiving — apparently because she instead\u00a0used the money to keep her personal bank account in the black while she was gambling at New Mexico casinos.<\/p>\n

Other candidates’ finance reports have been under scrutiny<\/a> since then. KOB-TV decided to cross-check<\/a> the finance reports of 10 legislative leaders — five Democrats and five Republicans — with\u00a0what lobbyists reported donating to their campaigns.<\/p>\n

KOB found the task nearly impossible. In their letter to Quintana, Papen, D-Las Cruces, and Gentry, R-Albuquerque, explained three problems that led to discrepancies:<\/p>\n