MLG and brother (Journal)

What's next on the higher education front after that in-your-face appointment by the Governor of her 64 year old brother Greg Lujan as the new student regent at New Mexico Highlands University? 

Well, how about the appointment of Lt. Governor Howie Morales as the new president of Western New Mexico University at Silver City where Joseph Shepard was forced out because of a spending scandal?

The Governor doesn't actually make that appointment but the school's regents who are appointed by the chief executive do make the pick. Morales has made it no secret that his "dream job" is the WNMU presidency in his native Silver City, an area he served as state senator before becoming lieutenant governor in 2019. He does come with qualifications as his bio notes:

(Morales) is a native of Silver City, where he still resides with his two children. Howie earned a PhD in Education from New Mexico State University – going on to be a classroom teacher and successful coach for a decade.

A Morales appointment would be an insider pick but not the stomach punch lame duck Governor MLG delivered when she chose her brother for that Highlands position in the aftermath of the outrage over Shepard's activities.

Shepard was given an over-the-top $1.9 million cash buyout by the clubby WNMU regents, a buyout still being challenged by the Attorney General. 

And speaking of Attorney General, don't forget that former two termer AG Hector Balderas is now president of Northern New Mexico Community College with Howie perhaps joining the club in the near future. Maybe they can start a poker night (but probably best to leave out the Guv's brother).

Of course, if amiable Howie lands that WNMU post--which pays on the order of $200K a year--MLG would be appointing a new lieutenant governor to fill out the remainder of his term that runs until 2027. Some wags already are advancing freshly-minted gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland as a possible replacement. But Sam Bregman might be more entertaining. 

In any event MLG's lame-duck appointment of her brother yet again frustrates the public as cronyism, wasteful spending and feeble oversight remain cornerstones of La Politica. 

RIDICULOUS OR NOT?

Sheriff Allen

The sprawling APD DWI bribery scandal touched the office of Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen when one of his deputies was placed on administrative leave because of the Federal investigation into the bribery scheme. 

Allen complained in an interview that the Feds were not communicating with him about the investigation. A campaign contribution from one of the scandal ringleaders--paralegal and convicted felon Rick Mendez--was also noted here this week. 

We called that a "red flag" and said all campaign contributions and fund-raisers of those involved and pleading guilty in the scheme should be examined as the scandal grows octopus-like tentacles. 

Allen's campaign manager, Neri Holguin, begs to disagree: 

As a candidate for Sheriff in 2022, John Allen received just $200 from Rick Mendez and nothing from attorney Thomas Clear. To suggest that "red flags" should be raised because Sheriff Allen disclosed that contribution, is ridiculous. Of course John Allen had no idea Mendez was involved in a DWI corruption scheme that involved the city, state and BCSO and he has since donated the $200 contribution to MADD, a group John has supported for years. 

Ridiculous, Neri? 

What is "ridiculous" is the utter apathy by the political class over this corruption. 

Of course, any campaign contributions by the DWI bribery felons to law enforcement or the judiciary should be reported and analyzed. 

That doesn't mean the recipients are guilty of anything but unless we want another 30 year run of bribery and deception at the state's largest police force--and however long it has been nesting in the offices of the sheriff and state police--every rock needs to be turned over.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

Sen. Jeff Steinborn has taken heat over his bill to legalize the hallucinogenic drug psilocybin, with critics citing the mostly disappointing results from legalizing marijuana and the continued damage drugs cause to the state's large fragile population. But Steinborn says the criticism of SB219 is misleading because the measure is akin to medical marijuana not wide-open legalization:

Regarding medical use of psilocybin, the FDA has labeled psilocybin as a "breakthrough therapy" for people with major depressive disorders, and its proven effective for PTSD, and other behavioral health conditions. Unlike cannabis, this will be only be administered in a clinical setting. Given the research, it’s humane to provide this medical option to thousands of New Mexicans suffering with difficult conditions.  

The bill would appropriate $4 million, mostly for personnel to administer the program. Chances of passage this session? About as good as Sen. Peter Wirth downing psilocybin on a Saturday night.

So if that drug seems destined to flame out at the Roundhouse how about ABQ Dem Senator Harold Pope's annual proposal to stop the boozing in the Senate? His SR1 is one of the simplest bills:

No senator shall consume alcohol before or during any floor session or meeting of a committee to which a member has been appointed.

The proposal has been sent to two committees. Chances of passage? About as good as the Bull Ring cancelling happy hour.

As expected, that sweeping GOP proposal to eliminate the state personal income tax was smacked down in committee by House Speaker Javier Martinez, but that doesn't mean there isn't a shot at tax relief for lower income households this session. This bill is starting to advance, say the Dems:

The legislation (HB14) would increase refundable credits for qualifying taxpayers and expand eligibility for those credits, including to single filers without children. It would effectively eliminate state income taxes for New Mexico families making less than $55,000 a year. 

The tax credit plan is to be included in an omnibus tax package. 

THE BROADBAND LAMENT

Leger-Fernandez (Moore, Journal)

Senator Ben Ray Lujan and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez aren't about to throw business to Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Starlink that is delivering fast internet to homes across the globe. But perhaps they should. Their comments to the legislature this week expressing frustration with how long the roll out of broadband to the state's rural areas is taking appears out of touch:

(Lujan) urged funding tied to closing gaps in broadband access in the state.“It’s time for the state to start investing these dollars,” Lujan said. “If you don’t believe me, just go back and chat with the folks back at home, and take time to travel down that long, dirt road to that one farm where you know the family but you know there’s no connectivity.” Leger Fernández agreed.“We can’t just have broadband in the big house. We need it in the adobe house. We need it in the ranch house,” she said, generating applause. “We need it in every house in New Mexico.”

Billions have been appropriated for laying expensive fiber in the ground to delver broadband to remote areas but it is taking years and is being left behind by satellite service that our rural kids and seniors could have right now. That is, If our congressional reps would not only urge the state to more rapidly deploy the millions already appropriated but work on legislation to give the state authority to spend more on satellite broadband. Then those ranch and adobe houses that Fernandez laments are still not being served would be.

Starlink covers the entirety of the lower 48 states at a cost of just $120 per month for unlimited residential use. Typical download speed easily exceeds the FCC’s 25 Mbps threshold for “unserved” and often exceeds the FCC’s 100 Mbps threshold for “underserved.” 

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

US Attorney Alex Uballez

First his cellphone was turned off. Then the Trump administration turned the lights out on US Attorney Alex Uballez. Soon he will be replaced with a Republican. 

Uballez was forced to resign Monday. Happy Presidents Day, Alex.

That sacking is par for the course for any new President. Uballez was appointed by Biden in 2022 to replace a Republican but this time the switch is accompanied by weighty issues now hanging in limbo: 

--Will the new GOP USA lay down a marker and pledge to aggressively pursue to the end the APD DWI bribery scandal that Uballez has presided over? Any hesitation could inhibit others involved in the scheme from coming forward or worse, the investigation gets slow-walked. On the bright side, the ringleader of the scheme has spilled all the beans and taken a plea bargain so some of the forward motion resolving the scandal is unstoppable. 

--Will Trump appoint a Republican firebrand MAGA as the new USA? In his first term he chose John Anderson, a moderate R with solid legal credentials who did not engage in radical interpretations of criminal justice or target any specific groups. This time the outcome is less certain. 

--If Trump does go with a MAGA member will that mean ABQ's status as a sanctuary city is placed in the bullseye and the deportation of undocumented migrants escalated? 

--Will a Trump appointee make good news when it comes to slowing Cartel drug traffic into the state?

The next step is for an interim US attorney to be selected (usually from the current staff). Later a permanent appointee will be named who must win confirmation from the Republican-controlled US Senate. 

Senators Heinrich or Lujan could put a "hold" on any nomination they found offensive which would cause a delay in the vote but probably not for long. The function of the office with a full-fledged leader is desired by the public and eventually Trump would get his way. 

 MEDIA AND SCANDAL

Tom Clear (Sorber, Journal)

 When the news about Uballez broke we were working on this report about the ongoing DWI scandal. And off we go. . .

Where are the perp walks of the offenders? Courtroom sketches of the plea hearings? Defense attorneys on the steps of the courthouse doing their best to spin the sad outcome for their clients? Where is the in-the-courtroom reporting from the Federal Courthouse?

All of those are ordinary elements of a major scandal such as the federal APD "DWI Enterprise" investigation taking down wayward cops and the lawyer, Tom Clear, who now admits he started put them on the take back in 1995.

But this scandal has been different in public perception. The administration of justice for the lawbreakers is playing out in courtrooms bereft of media representation that is necessary to fulfill the public's right to know. No video of perp walks. No courtroom sketches from the hearings. No on-site access to the prosecutors and attorneys.

US Attorney Alex Uballez has carried the ball for the prosecution with some media interviews but the lack of coverage of the offenders before the arraignments and in the courtroom is glaring and could be viewed as unfair favoritism toward law enforcement.

Such was not the case in other epic scandals that rocked the state, including those involving former state Senator Manny Aragon, two state treasurers caught up in a scandal back in the day. And what about APD itself? They bent over backwards to march their major suspects before the media and public.

Media sources say they have not been informed of the times of the plea hearings of the convicted officers nor of those for defense attorney Tom Clear and his right hand man Rick Mendez where they admitted tier corruption. US Attorney Uballez, they say, told one media outlet that "he would look into it."

He should or else it appears the disgraced public servants are getting an intentional break from the shame they brought on themselves, the city and their honest colleagues. 

BIZARRE INTERVIEW

Sheriff Allen

What to make of that bizarre interview of Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen where he lashes out at the federal prosecutors for not "communicating" with him about the scandal as one of his deputies is implicated? Take a look:

Everyone always talks about relationships and they do it on the feds side. And I take their classes. Um, they might want to take a little taste of their own medicine. Communication is very key.

Shouldn't the chief law enforcement officer of the state's largest county be openly condemning the corruption and urging their federal partners onward instead of fretting about their hurt pride because they are not being kept in the loop? Why would the Feds tell Allen or APD anything when their agencies are the very agencies where the DWI corruption was apparently covered up for decades?

And Allen's disclosure that defense attorney Tom Clear's right arm in the corruption caper, Rick Mendez, gave Allen campaign contributions is a flag more red than the sweaters worn at UNM's homecoming.

Allen's disclosure prompts the need for a complete review of all campaign contributions (including fund-raisers) given by Clear and Mendez for law enforcement and judicial figures. 

Meanwhile, can we at least get Journal cartoonist Trevor into the courtroom for the cop arraignments?  This scandal with the tentacles of an octopus is at the point where some comic relief is in order. 

BACK TO THE FUTURE 

ABQ Federal Court

It was a stunning date drop from defense attorney Tom Clear that did not get much notice. The now convicted felon admitted in his plea bargain that he began the DWI bribery scheme in 1995. 

Stunning to the public at large but not to our blog readers. This January 2024 entry is from one of our Legal Beagles at the outset of the scandal:

Joe, Tom Clear has provided entertainment, food, and drink for ABQ police officers at his home in Tanoan for years. This entertainment was not, to my knowledge, on a strictly quid pro quo basis, but it does not seem to be a coincidence that in, primarily metro court cases, a coterie of officers would fail to show for interviews, trials, and pretrial proceedings when Mr. Clear was on a case. The idea that this is only a decade-long case of corruption is laughable. I first heard of Clear’s shenanigans almost 30 years ago. There are several now retired stars of the APD who were complicit at some level over the years. 

1995. That's when "Dumb and Dumber" was the #1 movie at the box office. How appropriate because that's how those who betrayed their public trust treated the city. They got away with it all these years. 

Until now.  

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.        

With a notable exception the state's congressional delegation has endorsed Deb Haaland for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and the primary isn't until June 2026. 

Her campaign is now rolling out legislative endorsements and reports she has already raised over $1 million. 

They obviously are working feverishly to keep this a single candidate primary as was the case with Bill Richardson in 2002 and Diane Denish in 2010.

Senator Martin Heinrich is the lone hold out in the DC delegation, refusing to endorse Haaland who only announced her candidacy Feb. 11. 

(He also refused to endorse progressive ABQ Rep. Melanie Stansbury for a House committee leadership post as we explored Dec. 16.)

Heinrich decided against his own Guv run Jan. 24. He passed on a Haaland endorsement when he backed out and still wasn't on board when the Haaland camp promoted the delegation endorsements Friday. 

When asked by POLITICO's E&E News whether an endorsement will be forthcoming, Heinrich replied:

If I do (endorse), I’ll let you know.

That's understandable. 

First, Heinrich's flirtation with a Guv candidacy did not end well, with Haaland appearing to push him out. That also happened when President Biden passed him over for Secretary of Interior and chose Haaland. 

After that, this is no time to bend the knee. 

Heinrich and Haaland

Also, if Haaland does get elected Heinrich will remain the state's senior senator with enormous influence over legislation impacting the state. He will not and should not give his blessing to Haaland until he is good and ready.

Second, Haaland has shown herself more than capable of making mistakes (e.g. her bungled appearances before congressional committees as Sec. of Interior). There is concern that any missteps by her or polling that doesn't live up to expectations could draw a foe or two with some heft.

Heinrich is going to give her plenty of rope to play with and if the unexpected should happen and she trips, his options remain open. 

There is plenty of irony to Heinrich's decision not to endorse. His campaign finance team even picked up on our well-known nickname of him as the "First Endorser" because of his penchant for endorsing candidates in contested Democratic primaries with no regard for the divisiveness that can result. 

However, he was re-elected to a third term by a considerable margin so those primary endorsements did not seem to impact his standing among Democrats.

SAM TOWN

Sam Bregman

Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman is most frequently mentioned as a possible Haaland primary challenger but as a semi-conservative with more past political baggage than American Tourister, he is not seen as a major threat to Haaland. 

Bregman's fortunes could also be getting dragged down by his lobbying for a package of juvenile crime bills that are currently being shunned at the Roundhouse. 

Still, Bregman is a champion publicity hound. If he got in, the race could quickly go from sleeper to best-seller. Anti-Haaland Dems would at least have a vehicle for their dissent and the public would get a contrast of ideas.

Bregman's office deflected a question about running, but did not rule it out:

Right now, I am focused on fighting crime and working with legislators to pass good crime legislation for the safety of New Mexicans.

Bregman's son, famed baseball star Alex Bregman, just signed a $120 million three year contract with the Boston Red Sox. Not that Dad needs a campaign loan but. . . 

FOLLOW THE MONEY

Another note on campaign cash from a Dem consultant who writes: 

Joe, the Haaland campaign announced that just one day after launching she raised $686,323 from 13,394 unique donations. This includes donations from every county in New Mexico totaling $232,625 from more than 2,500 donations. However, there's another way to look at that--only 18% of the donors were in-state and only 34% of the contributions came from NM. The good news is she has a national following but a primary opponent could make hay over the disparity between her homegrown support and that from out-of-state.  

CORONATION OR ELECTION?

So here we are with a November election that revealed some Dem weariness with progressives, Senator Heinrich holding out on an Haaland endorsement, Bregman still hovering and a desire by the public to hear policy specifics from Haaland who has been conspicuously quiet on them.

No-one is yet standing on the railroad tracks to stop the Deb Haaland train. She is the obvious front-runner. The question is whether the primary will be something resembling a coronation instead of an election.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.