The ignominious, humiliating final days of Governor Susana Martinez will probably draw more attention from future generations than today's. That's because her reputation was already shattered and her administration judged among the worst in state history long before her last chapter was written. In the end even her "best friend" and the Republican Party that she led turned on her.

The nation's first Hispanic female Governor, who proclaimed herself a role model, will instead be a tragic example of what could have been and what not to be. The promise she falsely represented to the young Hispanic women of America was her greatest betrayal.

The end days of her marred tenure played out this month sensationally and salaciously with the revelation that the state's Risk Management Division quickly (and questionably) approved $1.7 million in lawsuit settlements to disgruntled ex-employees, some of whom threatened to put Martinez's dirty laundry on the state's clothes line for all to see.

In the final hypocrisy of her tenure, the state rapidly sealed until 2023 the records of these settlements. This from the self-proclaimed "most transparent administration in state history."

While the media rightly focused on the secrecy of the settlements, the question also arose of whether those bringing suit essentially extorted Martinez over her personal affairs. That, in turn, raised the question of whether she or her underlings succumbed by intervening (illegally?) with the state's Risk Management Division to settle the claims.

That premise was explored in the original report from KRQE-TV in which then-State Police Chief Pete Kassetas, whose alleged misbehavior was at the center of the lawsuits filed by Department of Public Safety employees. Several worked on Martinez's personal security detail. He said in a December email to the then-Governor:

I will not partake in the settlement mediation as I cannot be part of any extortion effort. I beg of you to cancel the settlement mediation scheduled for the 27th and let this case carry over to the next administration, Please do not settle this case.

What exactly was the "extortion effort?" Take a look:

In a December 20, 2018 email sent prior to a mediation settlement conference. . . lawyer Merit Bennett (representing Dianna DeJarnette, Terri Thornberry and Amy Orlando) asked Risk Management attorney Paula Maynes for all 'embarrassing or compromising… information'...regarding the personal life, alcohol or drug abuse or addiction, personal or intimate relationships or marital conflicts of the Governor."

In case you you forgot, Amy Orlando, who landed a job at DPS, was once Martinez's BFF, displaying the same insouciant cockiness as her powerful friend when both enjoyed days of too much wine and too few roses.

Then there's that tape recording disclosed by KRQE of Martinez's husband, Chuck Franco, that sources say references politically damaging details of Martinez's sex life and the couple's marital strife.

The phone call, taped by one of the state police officers who ended up as one of those suing the state, said she was asked to do it at the behest of an apparently very worried Governor. The content of that tape was brought to the attention of Risk Management prior to the case settlements.

Whew. That's a boatload and leads back to the question of whether there was a crime committed by the rapid fire settlement of these lawsuits:

Sources say the Risk Management Division paid a group of disgruntled public employees huge sums of money in order to keep alleged compromising information about then Governor Martinez under wraps. . . . The claims. . . were settled in 30 days. The files were then sealed from public view.. . . Confidential sources. . .say the claims were resolved in the final days of the Martinez administration out of fear that personal information about the Governor might be made public.

Could Attorney General Hector Balderas answer this question: Did Martinez or her underlings improperly interfere with Risk Management to get the money paid out and spare her the indignity of having embarrassing personal revelations revealed?

The ex-Governor says:

I did not encourage, influence or become involved in any Risk Management settlements. . . If these plaintiffs attempted to use unrelated and unfounded personal or private information as leverage for their personal benefit, then that is very disappointing. I hope and trust that Risk Management and the professional mediator in the case would not have allowed any such irrelevant and unfounded claims to influence their handling of any case and I have not seen any evidence that indicates they allowed anything like that to be a factor.

Shouldn't that statement by Martinez be put to the test in a formal investigation by Balderas? The AG said he has received complaints about the settlements but has not said if he will launch a formal investigation.

State Auditor Brian Colón's office will today announce an "examination" of the lawsuit settlement process. We'll see what comes of that but the buck ultimately stops with Balderas.

Of course, it's ridiculous for the lawsuits to be sealed for five years. That's practically unheard of and needs to be revoked. But the decision-making process of how that $1.7 million was paid out on flimsy evidence would seem to be ripe for investigation. That is, if the state wants a Risk Management agency known for integrity-- not one that can be bought off.

GOP REBUKE

In Happier Times

Martinez's embarrassment was Steve Pearce's opportunity. For years the two have been bitter Republican rivals. When news broke of the lawsuit settlements, Pearce, now chairman of the state GOP, hit with an eyebrow raising rebuke:

"New Mexico has a long and troubling history of public corruption and secret deals like the ones we are hearing about this week. They only make our state's reputation worse and prevents us from achieving our full potential," the party said.

The utter destruction of the reputation and legacy of Susana Martinez, and the New Mexican Republican Party reduced to a state of rubble. My, how the once mighty have fallen.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

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