The R's have tried mightily to tie the yoke of corruption around the neck of Dem Guv candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham, citing her involvement in Delta Consulting which had state contracts, and it appears they will keep hammering Delta until November. But the Dems are working to break that yoke and counter with this:
A former cabinet member (Taxation and Revenue Secretary Demesia Padilla) getting charged with multiple crimes is one heck of a big deal, but with so many GOP officials and candidates getting into serious legal and ethics scandals, (State Auditor) Wayne Johnson’s campaign finance violation fines and sanctions, (former secretary of state candidate) JoHanna Cox’s legal malpractice lawsuits and sloppy campaign finance reports, (Land Commissioner nominee) Pat Lyons’ suspicious land deals, (ABQ GOP State Rep.)Monica Youngblood’s aggravated DWI charges, and (GOP attorney general nominee) Michael Hendricks’ concealment of campaign donors), it feels like just another week in Susana Martinez’s New Mexico. Martinez has been out for a burger for the last 8 years and let her cronies run wild. . .
Lujan Grisham's ethics and character could be central to the GOP's playbook to take her down in November but they obviously have plenty of their own ethical baggage.
INDY MOVES
Former State Rep. Bob Perls has this news:
Unite New Mexico, a citizens movement to bridge the growing partisan divide by electing thoughtful, independent candidates to office, today announced that all of their endorsed candidates turned in enough signatures to make the ballot for the November general election. The Secretary of State must still certify the signatures. Tweeti Blancett for House District 40 and Jarratt Applewhite for HD 50 turned in over twice the number of signatures needed to qualify. In addition, Kathy Colley turned in her signatures for County Commission District 3 in Sandoval County.
House District 40 is in the north and is being vacated by longtime Dem Rep. Nick Salazar. The seat is considered safe Dem. House District 50 is in Santa Fe County and represented by Dem Rep. Matthew McQueen. The seat is also considered safe D.
RACE FOR THE RACINO
Here's an update on a story we broke this week:
The Fulton family, which already has one license for its Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino, announced its intention to submit a bid for the New Mexico Racing Commission's sixth and final racing license. Applications are due July 30. The four other current racetrack and casinos, also known as "racinos," operating in New Mexico are in Ruidoso, Albuquerque,Hobbs and Farmington. At least two other companies are also planning bids, with plans to open a racino in Clovis. Stan Fulton and his family took control of Sunland Park Racetrack Casino in 2000. He died earlier this year at the age of 86. Fulton's sons and daughters now operate the racino, and his children Liz Fulton Jones and Mike Fulton are the trustees helping with the family's bid for the license.
DEFENDING TORREZ
The DA isn’t reticent. I’m actually shocked that a DA would have the courage to do what Torrez did. It’s tough sometimes for the brain to accept facts that totally contradict what one is convinced of. Particularly prosecutors’ brains. A case “falls apart” when you can’t prove what happened. It appears the investigation showed the case against the mom was based on false allegations which were then proven untrue. This isn’t “falling through the cracks” either. Falling through the cracks is when a case doesn’t get the attention it deserves due to bureaucratic indifference, overburden system, etc. This case had multiple DA staff working only on this case.
What would you have him do? Reject the scientific evidence and spend 3 weeks trying the mom for murder only to have her beat the rap? Oh, and murder suspect Jessica Kelly is going to get the book thrown at her. (Unless she IDs the other killer which would be worth it.) How do you figure she wins her case? The new revelations may have made the case against her even stronger. Now APD's investigation, that’s a whole other story.
We quoted defense attorney John Day as saying the murder case of Victoria could end with no convictions if the unidentified man whose DNA was found on Victoria could not be found.
MOBILE VOTING
ABQ attorney Chales Knoblauch takes note of the news that BernCo County Clerk Linda Stover has bought a mobile voting unit and will station it outside various senior facilities to make it easier to cast a ballot:
Joe-a segment of the population even more restricted from reaching the polling booths than the seniors are the inmates in MDC. Why not have it sent over there on voting day? Most of the prisoners have not lost their right to vote and the political conversations in the pods would certainly be interesting.
Okay, Charles, just make sure that if they place the mobile unit at the jail, it isn't too mobile, if you get our drift.
HAIRY PEARCE
As for Steve, he might want to sport a guitar with his new do and take his show on the road. Think of the campaign money he could raise.
Thanks for stopping by. We appreciate it.
Happy Fourth of July, New Mexico!
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