{"id":40577,"date":"2012-06-04T00:02:16","date_gmt":"2012-06-04T06:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=40577"},"modified":"2012-06-05T12:48:41","modified_gmt":"2012-06-05T18:48:41","slug":"candidates-complain-about-guv-supporting-pac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2012\/06\/candidates-complain-about-guv-supporting-pac\/","title":{"rendered":"Candidates complain about guv-supporting PAC"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Gov.<\/a>

Gov. Susana Martinez<\/p><\/div>\n

Eleanor Chavez, David Coss, Larry Martinez and Jack Sullivan allege that Reform New Mexico Now violated disclosure law; they also seek to publicly tie the PAC to the Republican governor after it got involved in their Democratic primary races.<\/h4>\n

Several legislative candidates have filed complaints against a Super PAC that is supportive of Gov. Susana Martinez\u2019s<\/a> agenda and has sent out mailers and aired radio ads in recent days attacking them or supporting their Democratic primary opponents.<\/p>\n

The complaints from self-identified progressives Eleanor Chavez<\/a>, David Coss<\/a>, Larry Martinez<\/a> and Jack Sullivan<\/a> allege that Reform New Mexico Now violated state campaign disclosure law by not registering with the state within 10 days of receiving financial contributions and not filing a campaign finance report on May 14.<\/p>\n

The complaints were sent Sunday to the secretary of state and attorney general. Read Chavez\u2019s here<\/a>, Coss\u2019 here<\/a>, Martinez\u2019s here<\/a> and Sullivan\u2019s here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The PAC responded by saying its initial finance report<\/a> \u2013 filed earlier this week \u2013 erroneously reported that it received contributions in late April. It filed an amended report<\/a> that states the contributions came on May 21 and 24.<\/p>\n

\u201cReform New Mexico Now is in complete compliance with the law and, unlike other groups involved in these elections, we disclose all of our contributions and expenditures,\u201d the group\u2019s spokesman, Dominic Aragon, wrote in an e-mail.<\/p>\n

He added that the Secretary of State\u2019s Office \u201chas informed us that we are in total compliance with the law\u201d after filing the amended report, and said \u201cany attempt to suggest otherwise is nothing more than election-eve desperation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The PAC hasn\u2019t publicly released checks from the donors proving the dates of the contributions.<\/p>\n

Highlighting PAC\u2019s ties to guv<\/h3>\n

Based on the quotes the candidates provided in news releases, their complaints appear to be more about publicly tying the PAC before Tuesday\u2019s election to the Republican governor \u2013 and energy companies that donated to the group and to Martinez \u2013 than they are about the timing of donations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is outrageous that Susana Martinez would get involved in a Democratic primary, especially in northern Santa Fe County, and then try to hide her involvement from the voters,\u201d Coss, who is running in the Democratic primary against Carl Trujillo<\/a> for the open House District 46 seat, said. Reform N.M. Now sent a mailer<\/a> this weekend urging voters to support Trujillo.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor\u2019s secret PAC, Reform New Mexico Now, has attacked my record twice in political mail that was sent to voters in Senate District 14,\u201d Chavez said. \u201cDemocratic voters have a right to know who is behind these smear tactics, especially when they are sponsored by a Republican governor and other corporate interest groups.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chavez is running for the open state Senate District 14 seat against two other Democrats, Michael Padilla<\/a> and James Taylor<\/a>. The PAC didn\u2019t back either of her opponents, but hit Chavez hard in this mailer<\/a> and another NMPolitics.net has not obtained.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Eleanor Chavez<\/p><\/div>\n

Larry Martinez, who is challenging incumbent Sen. John Arthur Smith<\/a>, D-Deming, called a radio ad<\/a> from the PAC \u201cattacks from our Republican governor and her corporate interests\u201d and \u201can attempt to fool voters and hold onto their influence in the Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Governor Martinez wants to support my opponent in this race, she should be transparent about it,\u201d Larry Martinez said.<\/p>\n

Sullivan, who is one of two Democrats challenging incumbent Sen. Phil Griego<\/a>, D-San Jose, complained after the PAC sent a mailer<\/a> backing Griego.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig Oil and Governor Martinez have a staked an interest in my defeat over incumbent Phil Griego, and that\u2019s because I am not beholden to the corporations, oil and gas interests or the governor\u2019s right-wing agenda,\u201d Sullivan said.<\/p>\n

\"David<\/a>

David Coss<\/p><\/div>\n

A noteworthy billing address<\/h3>\n

Whether contributions to the Super PAC came in April or May is important because the group \u2013 which isn\u2019t subject to campaign contribution limits because it doesn\u2019t coordinate with candidates \u2013 registered with the Secretary of State\u2019s Office on May 29, according to documents<\/a> provided by that office.<\/p>\n

If the dates of the contributions listed in the amended report are accurate, the PAC registered within the 10 days required by law.<\/p>\n

But more interesting to many is the billing address listed on the receipt for payment of Reform N.M. Now\u2019s $50 registration fee. The PAC\u2019s registration documents and finance reports list a P.O. box in Albuquerque as its address, and the group has refused to answer NMPolitics.net\u2019s question about whether it has ties to Martinez.<\/p>\n

But the billing address listed on the receipt is the same address used by the governor\u2019s political action committee, Susana PAC<\/a>, and the business run by her top political adviser, Jay McCleskey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Larry<\/a>

Larry Martinez<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s not clear why that address is listed, since the receipt is a document created by the secretary of state, not the PAC. None of the documents filed by the PAC include that address. McCleskey and Aragon had no comment on the billing address, but Aragon said the group \u201cwill list all consultants and vendors on our finance reports as they are compensated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Helping Dems who support guv\u2019s agenda<\/h3>\n

Regardless, NMPolitics.net has already reported<\/a> that Reform N.M. Now\u2019s biggest donors are Martinez supporters and its issues are Martinez\u2019s issues. The PAC is clearly aiming to help Democrats who support Martinez\u2019s agenda, or hurt those who don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s perhaps also evidenced by the fact that Reform N.M. Now hasn\u2019t gotten involved in two hot Senate primaries in which progressives are trying to unseat more conservative Democrats \u2013 the race between incumbent John Sapien<\/a> and challenger Ben Rodefer<\/a>, and the race between incumbent David Ulibarri<\/a> and three primary opponents, including the progressive-backed Maxine Velasquez<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Jack<\/a>

Jack Sullivan<\/p><\/div>\n

The winner of the Sapien-Rodefer race will face the GOP\u2019s David Doyle<\/a>, and Republicans think they have a good shot at electing Doyle. They also think they have a good shot at electing Republican Vicki Perea<\/a> over whoever wins the Democratic primary for the seat Ulibarri currently holds.<\/p>\n

In other words, Reform N.M. Now appears to be helping Democrats it views as more supportive of Martinez\u2019s agenda in their primary races only in contests in which a Republican isn\u2019t as likely to win.<\/p>\n

Trujillo responds<\/h3>\n

Meanwhile, Trujillo, Coss\u2019 opponent, sent a statement saying his campaign has sometimes received support from organizations that \u201cmay have agendas that are likely to be at odds with our interests\u201d \u2013 referring, in part, to Reform N.M. Now.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd sometimes they may do things on their own, without our knowledge or our consent \u2013 whether it\u2019s putting up a sign, sending out e-mails, making a financial contribution or something bigger,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, the opposition has been using slimy tactics to insinuate that we are somehow connected to these organizations and that\u2019s proof that we have some kind of secret, evil agenda,\u201d he said. \u201cOur agenda is not secret; it is clear. There is only one interest that I seek to serve, and that is the very special interests of the people in the community that I grew up in, that my family has lived in and raised our children in for 400 years \u2013 the people of District 46.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article has been updated to include a link to Chavez\u2019s complaint.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UPDATED: Eleanor Chavez, David Coss, Larry Martinez and Jack Sullivan allege that Reform New Mexico Now violated disclosure law; they also seek to publicly tie the PAC to the Republican governor after it got involved in their Democratic primary races.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[156,223,107,293,208],"class_list":["post-40577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-2012-election","tag-campaign-finance","tag-roundhouse","tag-super-pacs","tag-susana-martinez"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40577\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}