{"id":31004,"date":"2011-08-09T14:19:48","date_gmt":"2011-08-09T20:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=31004"},"modified":"2011-10-08T22:05:17","modified_gmt":"2011-10-09T04:05:17","slug":"house-gop-wants-to-consider-block-impeachment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2011\/08\/house-gop-wants-to-consider-block-impeachment\/","title":{"rendered":"House GOP wants to consider Block impeachment"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block Jr.<\/p><\/div>\n

With calls for the resignation of Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block Jr.<\/a> thus far not resulting in him stepping down, House Republicans plan to ask Speaker Ben Luj\u00e1n<\/a> to create a committee to consider impeachment.<\/p>\n

Rep. Nate Gentry<\/a>, R-Albuquerque, confirmed that Minority Leader Tom Taylor<\/a> is preparing a letter to Luj\u00e1n asking him to create the committee to consider removing the scandal-plagued Block from office.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s clearly a pattern of abuse by Commissioner Block,\u201d Gentry said. \u201cWe need to review the evidence and, if necessary, begin the impeachment process.\u201d<\/p>\n

The last time the House considered impeachment was in 2005, but then-State Treasurer Robert Vigil, who faced federal charges including extortion, resigned<\/a> before the House could act.<\/p>\n

Block was quoted by the Albuquerque Journal<\/a> today as saying he doesn\u2019t know whether he\u2019ll resign.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy decision will be based on what\u2019s best for my constituents,\u201d the Journal quoted him as saying.<\/p>\n

Earlier today, the other members of the PRC \u2013 two Democrats and two Republicans \u2013 called on the Democrat Block to resign<\/a>. They join a bipartisan group of officials<\/a> that includes Gov. Susana Martinez<\/a> and Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Javier Gonzales in seeking Block\u2019s resignation.<\/p>\n

Block and his father are facing\u00a0felony and misdemeanor charges<\/a> related to misusing the state\u2019s public financing system during Block\u2019s 2008 election. Though a judge initially dropped some of the charges on a technicality, they were\u00a0reinstated last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Since those charges were reinstated, several new scandals have come to light.<\/p>\n