![\"LandOfficeSeal\"](\"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/LandOfficeSeal.jpg\" "\\"LandOfficeSeal\\"")
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Jerry King is part of a storied New Mexico family that includes a former governor, current attorney general and other elected officials. He and other members of his family own ranches around Moriarty and have several agricultural leases with the New Mexico Land Office<\/a>.<\/p>\n King is also an assistant commissioner in that office who, according to the office\u2019s Web site<\/a>, handles \u201cspecial projects.\u201d That includes facilitating negotiations between the land office and \u201cexisting lessees,\u00a0lease applicants, landowners, local-level governments,\u00a0etc.,\u201d land office spokeswoman Kristin Haase said.<\/p>\n King hasn\u2019t hidden the fact that companies in which he has a financial interest do business with an office at which he is a top administrator. A Jan. 1, 2003 form<\/a> on file with the land office discloses that he is a partner and shareholder in King Land & Cattle Co. and Pine Canyon Ranch Corp., which both have state land leases, and that his father holds land leases through the company King Bros. Ranch.<\/p>\n \u201cI will avoid any conflict that may arise,\u201d a handwritten note on King\u2019s \u201cCertificate Regarding Conflict of Interest\u201d form states.<\/p>\n But at least one state lawmaker who has been involved in attempts to reform the land office is questioning whether King\u2019s disclosure on the 2003 form was sufficient. Several others say the state\u2019s disclosure laws are in need of reform.<\/p>\n Rep. Nate Cote<\/a>, D-Las Cruces, said having a form on file at the land office isn\u2019t sufficient because he and others dealing with King didn\u2019t know to look for it. Cote said he didn\u2019t know about King\u2019s land leases until told by this reporter.<\/p>\n Cote has led the charge in recent years to get the attorney general<\/a> — Gary King, Jerry King\u2019s first cousin — and the state auditor<\/a> to scrutinize a controversial deal between the land office and a Las Cruces developer. Cote was also one of three Las Cruces-area lawmakers who proposed a series of land office reform bills<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n Most were unsuccessful, but a bill that requires competitive bidding on all land office development leases was approved<\/a> — with the backing of the land office. Jerry King, Republican Land Commissioner Pat Lyons<\/a> and others in the land office lobbied against most of the other proposals.<\/p>\n Cote said he\u2019s concerned that King\u2019s business dealings with the land office might have influenced his lobbying for the land office.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Jerry, knowing what I know now, was probably a bit out of line with his activities during the session in trying to get our legislation killed,\u201d Cote said. \u201cWhen anyone doesn\u2019t do full disclosure, and it\u2019s disclosed later, I think they\u2019ve lost credibility with the public.\u201d<\/p>\n Another lawmaker who dealt with King during the Legislature\u2019s consideration of the reform proposals says he saw no evidence of a King conflict. Rep. Elias Barela<\/a>, D-Belen, said when a committee he sits on considered and eventually tabled some of the bills, King was \u201ccordial.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNever saw any conflicts,\u201d Barela wrote in an e-mail, adding that King told the committee he understood its point of view after it tabled the bills.<\/p>\n King originally said in early July that he would be happy to discuss the situation with me and had \u201cnothing to hide.\u201d He agreed at that point to respond to e-mailed questions and then be available for a follow-up phone interview.<\/p>\n He never responded to that e-mail. Since it was sent, he has not responded to multiple phone calls and e-mails seeking comment. Lyons, his boss, has also not returned a call seeking comment.<\/p>\n The New Mexico Governmental Conduct Act<\/a> states, \u201cFull disclosure of real or potential conflicts of interest shall be a guiding principle for determining appropriate conduct. At all times, reasonable efforts shall be made to avoid undue influence and abuse of office in public service.\u201d<\/p>\n The land office requires all employees who have a conflict related to a land lease to fill out a form similar to the one King signed in 2003. Land Office General Counsel Robert Stranahan pointed out that the state statute requires disclosure, but not that it be made in writing, so he said Lyons\u2019 policy \u201cgoes further\u201d than is required.<\/p>\n Ray Powell<\/a>, a former land commissioner and Democrat who is running for the office again next year, had a similar policy when he ran the office from 1993-2001. Like Lyons\u2019 policy, it didn\u2019t formalize how the office would deal with conflicts, but did ensure disclosure of those conflicts was made to the land office in a document that was available to the public.<\/p>\n \u201cWe felt, particularly with the nature of the business at the land office, that it was extremely important,\u201d Powell said.<\/p>\n Asked how he dealt with conflicts that arose, Powell said it was on a case-by-case basis. For example, he said one employee\u2019s family had land leases, so another employee was assigned to deal with those leases.<\/p>\n The action he took in response to the disclosure of a conflict wasn\u2019t necessarily documented anywhere, Powell said.<\/p>\n Whether King has faced any employment restrictions because of his conflict isn\u2019t known because he and Lyons aren\u2019t talking. The form King filled out places no restrictions on what he can do.<\/p>\n Sen. Steven Fischmann<\/a>, D-Las Cruces, and Jim Baca<\/a>, who was land commissioner from 1983-86 and 1991-1993, were among those who said the state\u2019s conflict-of-interest laws are sorely lacking.<\/p>\n \u201cLike so much in New Mexico government, conflict-of-interest laws are vague and inadequate. Reform is needed in the land office, but that\u2019s probably true across state government,\u201d said Fischmann, who joined Cote in proposing reform earlier this year.<\/p>\n Baca said the state\u2019s conflict-of-interest laws \u201cthrow a pretty small net.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey don\u2019t really get into any sort of particulars,\u201d said Baca, who is currently the state\u2019s natural resource trustee. \u201cWhat would be valuable is an ethics department or something that could look at these on a case-by-case basis.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Cote,](\"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/Cote-Nate.jpg\" "\\"Cote,")
<\/p>\nKing refuses to answer questions about situation<\/h3>\n
State law doesn\u2019t require written disclosure<\/h3>\n
\u2018Reform is needed\u2019<\/h3>\n