Rodger Beimer

The blame game is underway in Southern California as ashes are cooling and fires are still burning.

Meanwhile, to firefighters battling the blazes in SoCal and beyond, and to those who stand ready in our towns and neighborhoods every day, we should all say “Thank you.”

Rodger Beimer, 79, is a native of Taos. He spent years reporting on New Mexico for TV news and later was a manager at NM Expo. This column was first published by the ABQ Journal.

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Sen. Heinrich (Roll Call)

This report was delayed as we brought you coverage of the APD DWI scandal this week.

Martin Heinrich has regained his political balance and decided a run for Governor in 2026 is a bridge too far. He announced last week he will remain in the US Senate where this month he began his third six year term after trouncing his Republican opponent by 10 points in the November election. 

Heinrich barely began celebrating his win when he turned heads by confirming reports first published here that he was seriously weighing a bid for the Democratic nomination for Governor in two years. But he ran into a high hurdle--former Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland and her plans for a candidacy. 

She tiptoed toward an official declaration  Tuesday with this statement from a spokeswoman:

Deb Haaland is of and for New Mexico. She’s a proven leader; she’s created New Mexico jobs, brings people together, and is getting ready to run to be New Mexico’s next governor. She and her team will be focused on listening and solutions that fit the needs of our communities.

At the same time a poll conducted December 4 and 5 by PPP among 557 Democratic primary voters was being passed around that showed Haaland defeating possible Dem rival and BernCo District attorney Sam Bregman 50 to 18 percent. The sponsor of the poll was not known.

CAT AND MOUSE

Heinrich and Haaland played a bit of cat and mouse and Heinrich--perhaps with the urging of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer as well as polling showing the difficulty and divisiveness of a primary with Haaland--decided to stay put. 

Also, no Anglo male has been elected Governor since 1998 when Republican Gary Johnson won re-election. Heinrich also would have been the first sitting US senator in state history to give up his seat to run for the state's top office, with repercussions uncertain among the electorate. That history had to loom over him.

Haaland

Heinrich is now the ranking member on the important Senate Energy Committee and is already pushing back against President Trump. For the first time he is in a position to have a significant voice in national affairs and protect New Mexico's interests with more power. He could have a shot someday at Senate leadership if he stays steady.

Whatever the mid-life crisis was that made the 53 year old think about going off the rails appears to be over and the state has its senior senator back. If Heinrich can now overcome his apparent distaste for certain aspects of Senate life and get on with making a major mark, all the better for New Mexicans. 

Notably, Heinrich did not endorse Haaland for the nomination, saying he is waiting to see who else gets in the chase. 

BREGMAN AND OTHERS

Bernalillo County District Attorney Bregman's name is circulating with insiders speculating he could mount a Guv campaign to the right of the very progressive Haaland and spend considerable money doing so. Bregman has not discouraged the chatter.

The size of the Democratic field now seems to be in the hands of Haaland. She is regaled as the first Native American to head Interior and would claim another first as as a female Native American Governor. But leadership goes beyond identity and Haaland will be eyeballed by possible opponents as she begins her long march to the Roundhouse. Any serious missteps will be calculated by ambitious bystanders. They still have time but that Haaland is now in the pole position for the nomination is not in dispute.

THE GOP FIELD

Herrell

There's no shortage of possible '26 GOP Guv contenders. In our January 6  blog we gave the state the first list of names of those thinking about running as confirmed by reliable Republican sources. They include Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull who in response to that report confirmed his interest but has not made a formal announcement. He said: 

I’ve been approached by a lot of individuals to look at the possibility and I’m currently weighing all of my options.

Other Republican possibles include state Senator Crystal Brantley, former Supreme Court Justice Judy Nakamura, Nella Domenici, former Lt. Gov. John Sanchez and state Rep. Rebecca Dow.  

And a name not on our first list but now emerges is that of former Congresswoman Yvette Herrell.

HEINRICH STATEMENT

After careful consideration and many conversations with my family, constituents, and colleagues, I’ve decided to remain in the United States Senate. It’s clear to me that New Mexico needs a strong voice in Washington now more than ever—the stakes are simply too high. 

President Trump’s alarming actions this week—attacking birthright citizenship, pardoning criminals that assaulted police officers, and rolling back American energy leadership—these actions hurt families, endanger our democracy, and threaten the future of our public lands and natural resources. From fighting back against these harmful policies to defending the progress we’ve made lowering costs for working families, growing our economy, and keeping our communities safe, the Senate is where I believe I can have the most impact. 

In my time in the Senate, I’ve delivered real results for New Mexico—securing historic investments in broadband and water infrastructure, lowering prescription drug costs, expanding access to affordable health care, and strengthening public safety. But there is still so much more to do, and I will not walk away from that responsibility. 

I will stand up to the President when needed, but I’m also ready to work with him and my Senate colleagues to move New Mexico and our nation forward. As Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I am committed to leading our Caucus in advancing innovative clean energy solutions, creating good-paying jobs, and protecting our public lands—critical pillars of New Mexico’s economic and environmental future. 

New Mexicans deserve a voice that is calm, but resolute, someone who will work tirelessly for their values and a brighter future. My decision to stay in the Senate reflects my commitment to serving the people of New Mexico and a willingness to do the hard work that brings our potential and our reality ever closer together.

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Readers reacted to the special blog report on the scandal history at APD and how none of them were met with serious consequences which leads us to present day and the mother of all the scandals--the decadeslong DWI caper seeing the light of day and the first indictment in the case by the US Attorney last week. 

Our report, compiled with the able assistance of APD watchdog Dan Klein and other knowledgeable sources, was tough on past and present city administrations but it is the current one of Mayor Tim Keller where the outrage now falls. First City Hall's reaction to the report and then the readers. A spokeswoman says:

From the start APD and City leadership choose not to wait for the FBI investigation to finish and instead were proactive, worked with the FBI, and conducted their own investigations. This is why all known participants at APD are no longer serving in the department. Given this terrible scheme was going on for decades, this leadership team had the fortitude to stand firm and take immediate action, and is committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure it doesn’t happen again. 

Ensuring that it doesn't happen again is a a heady promise from the administration given the yearslong series of wrongdoing at APD. Nevertheless it is on Keller's watch now and he will answer for it during the upcoming mayoral campaign. 

On the city's Inspector General Report alleging misuse of $287,000 by the administration, the spokeswoman says: 

The idea that paying early childhood administrators overtime during Covid is at all inappropriate is a complete slap in the face to the thousands of families who enrolled their kids in City programs, especially first responders and nurses, who were taking care of all of us. These expenditures were also Federally approved, and the OIGs reckless comments were literally rejected by her own oversight board comprised of accounting and legal professionals. 

The federal indictment indicates that the DWI scheme dates back at least 15 years, but this timeline from KRQE expands that to possibly 2003: 

Detectives conducting the current Internal Affairs investigation were made aware of a case in 2003 involving attorney Tom Clear and allegations that an officer failed to appear at a hearing in order to get the case dismissed. Investigators are currently working to corroborate the information. 

It's important to keep in mind that the scandal encompassed not only the Keller years but the eight years of Mayor Berry and perhaps the preceding eight of Mayor Marty Chavez. Back to the timeline: 

APD conducted an Internal Affairs investigation in 2014 of a case in which officers arrested a woman for DWI, then offered to get her case dismissed if she hired attorney Tom Clear. The case against the woman was later dismissed when one of the officers failed to attend a hearing and both officers’ On-Body Recording Device (OBRD) video could not be located. While officers were disciplined for violating APD policy, there was no follow-up investigation at the time to determine if there was a pattern of police misconduct related to DWI cases. 

VOX POPULI

Now to the readers and Diane Ochoa: 

Great blog Monday. Being the negative Nellie that I am, I didn't find one mention of the ABQ City Council's  role or lack thereof in this charade of inaction by these political players. Both Republicans and Democrats  are in the mix it seems, could that be why?

Thanks, Diane. There was no mention was no of the Council because, frankly, in the many years the scandals were unfolding the nine member panel did not conduct rigorous oversight of APD and that attitude has continued to this day. 

Reader John Rey: 

Joe, great reporting! Just don’t hold your breath waiting for action! After all Joe this is the land of The Movida !! 

We just noted the DWI scandal could date back as far as 2003 but former ABQ GOP state Rep. Bill Rehm says look even further back in time--all the way to the 1990's:

Joe, When the DWI scandal came out I was speaking with some defense attorneys who told me they knew of this back to the 90's. I wanted to ask why didn't you do anything? After all you take an oath to uphold the integrity of the court. I really believe the downfall of APD began with APD Chief Whitey Hansen (who was appointed police chief in 1980 by Mayor David Rusk) He said his officers would no longer issue citations at traffic wrecks unless someone is killed. He said we are doing the job of the insurance investigator. The officers then understood taking a burglary report was doing the work for the insurance company. From this point the quality of the investigations and reports went down. And now look at where APD is, phone in all reports, but we will respond to a murder scene.

Reader Peggy Wright:

Corrupt politicians. And yet we continue to elect them 🤷‍♀️ 

Reader Michael Lamb:

Rhetorical question: in terms of lists, what about the APD murder investigation of Mary Han?

Thanks, Michael. Mary Han was an ABQ defense attorney and severe critic of APD's practices who was found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in the garage of her North Valley home in 2010. Her death was ruled a suicide but later the attorney general said the cause should be classified as "undetermined." Mary's death was met with allegations that there was a conspiracy to kill her. The case haunted the city for years. 

Reeader Patrick McConnell writes:

Joe, I have been reading your daily posts for years. Monday's report was possibly the best and most important report you have ever given us. 

Appreciate that, Paul. Again, kudos to Dan Klein and the other contributors. Our report will be important if it and others are combined with a stern law enforcement response and leads to reforms that finally halt the APD culture of corruption. 

MORE VOX POPULI

Reader Mary Mulvany in ABQ:

Good work. A fight against corruption needs to start at home. 

Mike Davis writes from Austin:

Mr Monahan, Thanks for accurate, necessary compilation of past APD deleterious actions under the guise of policing the city and county. The federal take over of the DWI scandal made national news over the weekend. As the old saw goes: "Ain't that a fine kettle of fish"

 Reader Ron Nelson writes: 

Brilliant column! How about submitting it to the community’s enabler of all corruption, the Albuquerque Journal--or just like that - nothing happened.🤷‍♂️

Reader Charlie writes:  

APD follows a long tradition in Albuquerque. Please recall Milton Yarberry’s tenure in office.

Okay, we just got back from a trip in the wayback machine and note that Yarberry was the first Town Marshall of ABQ appointed in 1880. His controversial and murderous rein ended when he was hanged at the gallows uttering these famous last words: "Gentlemen, you are hanging an innocent man."

And so it goes. 

Reporting from Albuquerque, I'm Joe Monahan

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

You know the news. The monumental Albuquerque Police Department DWI scandal has again rocked the city with the first guilty plea and the US attorney promising that this is "just the beginning." (Full Federal plea document here.)

Now is the time for the tough questions and possible solutions that Albuquerque hungers for as it wrestles with a crime-ridden atmosphere, an anemic economy in part explained by that crime and a general sense of profound apathy taking the city to lower depths. 

A Senior Alligator (one of our longtime, informed sources) sums up this latest depressing chapter in the scandal that authorities now say dates back over 15 years:

What’s amazing is the zero fallout for any political leader. Not for Mayor Tim Keller or any former mayor and not any current or former APD chief. Nobody. That’s how apathetic (or pathetic) ABQ has become when it comes to crime--even when its own cops are the criminals. Just a collective shoulder shrug as the city waits to ignore whatever the next outrage is. To borrow a line from Chinatown, “Forget about it, Jake. It’s ’Burque.” 

A difficult path lies ahead if the city is going to pull out of this historic morass that has taken decades to form and is now cresting under Mayor Keller as he seeks a third consecutive term with so far an astounding lack of interest.

Gov. Lujan Grisham even appeared to throw in the towel on our city's current conditions, declaring that ABQ is "going to take years to fix." 

HISTORY, CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES

Let's go to the history, the causes, consequences and solutions to this epic fail in public policy and management with former APD Sergeant and longtime department watchdog Dan Klein and others.

--Who has APD been hiring for the past 20 years (or more)? The hiring process is supposed to catch individuals with shaky ethics. Yet, a large number of officers made it through the process and now are being implicated in the DWI corruption scandal.

--Where is the APD Serpico? Frank Serpico was a NYPD detective who risked his life in the 1970’s to expose NYPD corruption. Why didn’t APD have an officer of this morality? Officers outside of the DWI unit must have heard whispers or wondered how these guys were affording expensive trips, homes, cars, etc. This corruption appears to have permeated APD at every rank. An officer who wanted to expose this had (and still has) nowhere within APD to go, but they could walk into the FBI office. Why didn’t they? Those officers and command staff who knew and said nothing are as guilty of corruption as those who took the bribes. 

--Several supervisors of the DWI unit are still on duty, how can this be? These sergeants, lieutenants, commanders either knew about the corruption and turned a blind eye or are incompetent. Either way, why hasn’t Chief Medina removed them? 

APD'S SORROWFUL PAST

--Corruption within APD is nothing new. In 2005 the APD evidence room scandal rocked this city and forced APD Chief Gallegos to resign. Nothing more happened. 

--Around 2014 the Tasergate pay-to-play scandal (worth millions in contracts) rocked the city with explicit evidence that the APD chief of police was “greasing” the contract for Taser in exchange for a lucrative side job with Taser. Chief Ray Schultz subsequently resigned. Nothing more happened.

--In 2020 the APD public information officer was caught by a city and state audit claiming pay for being in two places at one time (among other allegations) referred to as the Robocop Scandal. The State Auditor went so far as to refer the case to then-Attorney General Hector Balderas for criminal investigation and nothing happened. The APD PIO resigned when confronted, but again, nothing happened. 

--In 2016 members of APD Chief Gordon Eden’s staff were caught fabricating an entire police interview of child murder victim Victoria Martens “putting lies in a dead girls mouth to hide their own incompetence." A couple low-level members of the chiefs staff were slightly disciplined but once again, even though you had police employees lying, nothing more happened. 

--In 2023 APD Chief Medina says he heard rumors and opened a secret investigation into the APD DWI unit, but nothing was found. Medina didn’t ask the FBI at that time for assistance. Flash forward two years and based on what we now know, either the APD investigators were hiding the scandal or they were all incompetent. How hard was it to review missed court dates by officers to determine that something was wrong?

--All of that that doesn't even include the multiple audits conducted by several state auditors (including former Auditor and now Mayor Tim Keller) into the scandalous and ongoing overtime pay received by APD officers. Among the highest recipients are officers of the now disgraced and scandalized DWI Unit. 

--In the last twenty years there have been no fewer than seven state, city and inspector general investigations into APD, DWI and overtime. Yet every chief and every mayor has ignored their findings. 

--The United States Attorney, Bernalillo County District Attorney and Attorney General didn’t pursue charges in the evidence room scandal, Tasergate or the Robocop scandal. They either pointed to each other and said that person should investigate or did nothing.

Had any criminal investigations of police officers occurred during these scandals, it might have emboldened honest officers to step forward. Instead, the common theme was “what’s the point? Why should I put my life on the line to expose corruption when the US Attorney (at that time), the Attorney General and the District Attorney won't do anything?” 

KELLER QUESTIONS

And this from Klein on Mayor Keller:

In 2024 the Inspector General released reports alleging misuse of federal pandemic funds (over $287,000) by well-connected members of Keller’s staff. Keller slammed the IG and so far the US Attorney has not opened an investigation. 

Keller’s past chief administrative officer was given tens of thousands of dollars in sick and vacation time that she did not earn. Keller’s response was to slam the IG, again, for being biased. But where are Attorney General Raul Torrez and DA Sam Bregman on these allegations of corruption in the mayor’s office. Why hasn’t either prosecutor at least opened up an investigation? 

In both of these cases it was employees within the city who reported to the Inspector General. That’s how it is supposed to work. But those good employees are going to stop reporting public corruption when  those in power to do something ignore them.  

It’s time the US Attorney, Attorney General and District Attorney assign members of their agencies to investigate only allegations of public corruption. Every State Auditor and City Auditor report should be mandated to be forwarded to all three prosecutors for review and possible investigation. Every Inspector General report should be mandated to be sent to each prosecutor for review and possible investigation. We must force the gardeners to tend to our garden and report publicly, or the corruption will grow and only get worse. 

Most citizens of Albuquerque no longer trust, nor have faith, in our government officials to protect us from corruption. It is time for the New Mexico congressional delegation to demand public hearings on police and public corruption in Albuquerque. 

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