Stapleton

The legislature has avoided any major scandals of late and minor ones too, like lawmakers caught driving drunk or having affairs with employees. But a scandal that rocked La Politica five years ago still casts a shadow over Santa Fe and the state. 

That would be the 2021 massive corruption case against House Majority Floor Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton that still remains unresolved. Readers ask why and we take a look.

Stapleton, 68, who resigned when the scandal broke, faces federal charges of mail fraud, bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and theft from programs receiving federal funds. The allegations stem from her role at Albuquerque Public Schools where she allegedly funneled millions of dollars to a company owned by co-defendant Joseph Johnson. ​ Her federal trial, originally set for late September 2025, was delayed until March 31 of this year, marking at least the sixth postponement. 

Our Legal Beagles say the latest continuance allows time for plea negotiations, joint defense preparation, and review of evidence. 

There is a list of mundane reasons accounting for the lengthy delay including standard federal case complexities: new defense counsel for Johnson, extensive discovery review, and active plea talks.  

Stapleton, who served from an ABQ SE district from 1995 to her '21 resignation, is under pretrial supervision with weekly check-ins after a prior court tardiness issue. 

The sticking point may be those attempts at getting a plea bargain. Delays are not unusual for fraud cases involving public funds and high-profile defendants but plea deals often resolve them and avoid a trial. That has yet to happen in the Stapleton case. 

The March 2026 trial date suggests resolution may come soon, but further delays remain possible. A final Beagle note:  

The case was initially filed in state court almost 5 years ago where it sat around for a while. The feds adopted it and unquestionably had problems with the different procedures and personalities used in NM courts. The state and fed legal worlds’ connections can be not only tenuous, but are often marked by  jealousy, backbiting, politicking, and outright contempt.t can be enough to make the Roundhouse seem like a paragon of cooperation.  

BACK AGAIN

Rep. Matthews

As they did in '24, progressive Democrats are again targeting moderate Dem state Rep. Marian Matthews.

She was hailed by Dems in 2020 when she won her District 27 seat in the far ABQ NE Heights that had long been held by GOP state Rep. Larry Larranaga--who died in 2018--in what was once a conservative bastion. But that's no longer enough.

Her progressive primary foe this time is attorney Abby Foster. She ran a close race for ABQ city council in 2023, losing narrowly incumbent Republican Brook Bassan. 

Foster does not appear to be attacking the middle of the road Mathews yet but that's sure to come. So what's the left's beef with Marian? 

Matthews, an attorney, voted against a Paid Family and Medical Leave proposal, citing a potential burden on employees and employers via payroll taxes. Progressives criticized this as a failure to support workers. 

Matthews has prioritized like issues like crime reduction, healthcare cost controls, and bail/tort reforms over progressive legislation, warning of unintended consequences like those seen in prior reforms. 

She managed to win her '24 primary with 56 percent of the vote but Foster is seen as a much better candidate making this a primary race to watch. 

As for the Republicans, they have an outside shot but the district continues to trend Blue. 

This the Home of New Mexico Politics.