‘Flawed’ campaign finance system in NM leads to more questions

State lawmakers are coming under more scrutiny since New Mexico Secretary of State’s office recently started investigating a handful of state legislators for possible campaign finance violations. State Reps. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, D-Albuquerque, Roger Madalena, D-Jemez Pueblo and Andy Nuñez, R-Hatch, are all under fire for discrepancies in their campaign finance reports. But perceived problems with […]

State lawmakers are coming under more scrutiny since New Mexico Secretary of State’s office recently started investigating a handful of state legislators for possible campaign finance violations.

Bag o CashState Reps. Antonio “Moe” Maestas, D-AlbuquerqueRoger Madalena, D-Jemez Pueblo and Andy Nuñez, R-Hatch, are all under fire for discrepancies in their campaign finance reports.

But perceived problems with campaign spending aren’t limited to them. New Mexico Political Report also found questionable campaign spending by state Reps. Patricia Roybal Caballero, D-Albuquerque, Jane Powdrell-Culbert, R-Corrales and Debbie Rodella, D-Espanola.

New Mexico Political Report reviewed only a handful of campaign finance reports.

Ken Ortiz, chief of staff for Secretary of State Dianna Duran, said his “staff is working on the campaign finance inquiries that have come to our attention.”

Duran is battling her own ethics issues after Attorney General Hector Balderas filed a criminal complaint accusing her of illegally using campaign money for personal use, including cash withdrawals at casinos.

While some entries in lawmakers’ finance reports may seem problematic, it turns out many may be the result of a flawed reporting system, outdated reporting laws and poor reporting by candidates.

“A majority of these are going to continue to be simple mistakes,” said Viki Harrison, director of Common Cause New Mexico, which advocates for clean elections. “But they erode public trust, which is the opposite of what we want.”

New Mexico is one of the few states in the U.S. that is run by an unpaid state Legislature. Representatives and senators often rely on the stipend they receive and campaign contributions. New Mexico laws allow legislators to use campaign funds for daily expenses such as office supplies or official trips.

That, coupled with a problematic reporting system, opens the door for ambiguous use of campaign money.

In October 2014, Roybal Caballero reported a $4,000 contribution to Equality E PAC. While large expenditures to other campaigns or political action committees may raise eyebrows for some, Harrison said current campaign contribution rules allow it.

Caballero also reported spending almost $1,400 for a hotel stay in Anchorage, Alaska for the Council of State Governments. Harrison said this is acceptable because it is part of her role as a legislator.

But it’s Roybal Caballero’s reported spending of campaign money on gifts that Harrison said might be problematic. In November 2014, Roybal Caballero spent $48 for a “retirement gift” at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque.

In an email to New Mexico Political Report, Caballero said the purchase was for a bolo tie for former House Chief Clerk Stephen Arias when he retired. She added that the purchase was a “reasonable expenditure” under current campaign finance rules, but acknowledged that it raises concerns about “why we need to fix our broken campaign finance reporting system.”

Powdrell-Culbert made similar expenses, according to her finance reports. On Valentine’s Day earlier this year, Powdrell-Culbert spent $116 at Dillard’s, a department store, on gifts for her legislative and campaign staff. She also spent $19.76 at Ross in March 2014 and $25.44 in February 2014 for gifts at TJ Maxx, two other department stores.

“I can’t imagine what that was for,” Harrison said.

Harrison said the state’s Campaign Reporting Act “is very specific,” noting that it “specifically excludes personal living expenses.” While Powdrell-Culbert also marked many restaurant expenses as “gifts,” Harrison said the law allows “a lot of leeway” on food expenses.

Powdrell-Culbert did not return a voicemail New Mexico Political Report left for her Thursday afternoon.

Other listed payments are hard to track exactly what lawmakers spent the money on.

Rodella reportedly spent almost $5,000 on credit card payments from July 2014 to March of this year. Each of the seven expenditures entries are listed as payments to Visa, with a note added to break down the charges.

While this raised concerns with Harrison, she said it might be explained by sloppy accounting and an outdated reporting procedure. Rodella is listed as her own campaign’s treasurer. When New Mexico Political Report contacted her she said she was busy and would call back. We will update this story when she calls back.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Citizens United decision also feeds into the broader problem, Harrison argued.

“In just five years since that decision campaigns have become very expensive,” she said. “There’s a lot more money to keep track of.”

She said her organization’s goal is to make a campaign finance system that’s easier for lawmakers to file on and simpler for the public to read and navigate.

It’s a problem that Ortiz acknowledged.

“The current campaign finance information system does not have any automatic cross checking capability so the process is manual,” Ortiz said.

He said his office’s review process will include analyzing “hundreds of thousands of entries” that “need to be individually reviewed” to determine whether lawmakers are spending campaign money legally and reporting their fundraising accurately.

We're ad free

That means that we rely on support from readers like you. Help us keep reporting on the most important New Mexico Stories by donating today.

Related

Emily’s List endorses seven candidates for Legislature

Emily’s List endorses seven candidates for Legislature

Emily’s List, a nonprofit that supports women candidates and reproductive rights, endorsed seven incumbents facing general election opponents in New Mexico legislative elections. All…
Equality New Mexico endorses 15 legislative candidates

Equality New Mexico endorses 15 legislative candidates

A New Mexico-based LGBTQ rights organization endorsed 15 candidates for state House and Senate seats for the 2024 elections.  Marshall Martinez, executive director of…
Lujan Grisham pocket vetoes two bills

Lujan Grisham pocket vetoes two bills

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pocket vetoed two bills the legislature passed this legislative session: one changing the Cybersecurity Act and the other concerning law…
BLM announces final methane waste rule

BLM announces final methane waste rule

The federal Bureau of Land Management announced its final methane waste rule on Wednesday. These new regulations clamp down on the practice of venting…
What consumers, farmers should know about the flu impacting dairy cows

What consumers, farmers should know about the flu impacting dairy cows

Migrating birds appear to have caused a virus in dairy cattle that is causing reduced milk production. So far, the disease, which initially started…
Republicans seek to limit national monument designations

Republicans seek to limit national monument designations

Republican-backed legislation in the U.S. Congress would make it harder for the government to designate new national monuments. The proposed Congressional Oversight of the…
Amid new graduation requirements, what do high schoolers want to learn?

Amid new graduation requirements, what do high schoolers want to learn?

By Margaret O’Hara, The Santa Fe New Mexican The main things that bring Brayan Chavez to school every day: Seeing, talking to and engaging with…
Special ed teachers hope lawmakers OK pay raises, admin changes

Special ed teachers hope lawmakers OK pay raises, admin changes

By Margaret O’Hara, The Santa Fe New Mexican Brittany Behenna Griffith has a laundry list of adjectives to describe the ideal special education teacher:…
Lawmakers must find consensus on competing education spending plans

Lawmakers must find consensus on competing education spending plans

By Margaret O’Hara, The Santa Fe New Mexican A challenging task awaits New Mexico lawmakers in the next 30 days: Reconciling three very different…
Health workers fear it’s profits before protection as CDC revisits airborne transmission

Health workers fear it’s profits before protection as CDC revisits airborne transmission

Amy Maxmen, KFF Health News Four years after hospitals in New York City overflowed with covid-19 patients, emergency physician Sonya Stokes remains shaken by…
Lujan Grisham, Biden admin announce $10 million in federal funds for tribes, pueblos

Lujan Grisham, Biden admin announce $10 million in federal funds for tribes, pueblos

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Friday $10 million in funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act was awarded to six tribal nations and…
Proposal to curb executive powers moves to House Judiciary

Proposal to curb executive powers moves to House Judiciary

The House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee discussed a potential constitutional amendment that seeks to limit the governor’s executive powers. The committee approved…
Senators introduce legislation to aid abortion providers

Senators introduce legislation to aid abortion providers

Sen. Martin Heinrih and other Senate colleagues introduced abortion rights legislation into the U.S. Senate on Thursday. The Abortion Care Capacity Enhancement and Support…
U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

The U.S. Supreme Court heard the case about the regulations around mifepristone, one of a two-step regime for abortion medication, on Tuesday. FDA v.…
At stake in mifepristone case: Abortion, FDA’s authority, and return to 1873 obscenity law

At stake in mifepristone case: Abortion, FDA’s authority, and return to 1873 obscenity law

Lawyers from the conservative Christian group that won the case to overturn Roe v. Wade are returning to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday in pursuit…
Senators introduce legislation to aid abortion providers

Senators introduce legislation to aid abortion providers

Sen. Martin Heinrih and other Senate colleagues introduced abortion rights legislation into the U.S. Senate on Thursday. The Abortion Care Capacity Enhancement and Support…
New Mexico Medicaid to cover cost of over-the-counter oral contraception

New Mexico Medicaid to cover cost of over-the-counter oral contraception

New Mexico Medicaid announced on Wednesday that it will cover the cost of Opill, the first oral contraception approved for over-the-counter use. It is…
U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

The U.S. Supreme Court heard the case about the regulations around mifepristone, one of a two-step regime for abortion medication, on Tuesday. FDA v.…
San Juan County, Navajo Nation settle redistricting case

San Juan County, Navajo Nation settle redistricting case

The Navajo Nation and San Juan County reached an agreement Monday about commission districts after the tribe alleged that its members were not adequately…
MIT ranks NM elections most well-run in the U.S.

MIT ranks NM elections most well-run in the U.S.

New Mexico’s 2022 election was ranked most well-run in the country by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Election Data and Science Lab’s Elections Performance Index.…
Emily’s List endorses seven candidates for Legislature

Emily’s List endorses seven candidates for Legislature

Emily’s List, a nonprofit that supports women candidates and reproductive rights, endorsed seven incumbents facing general election opponents in New Mexico legislative elections. All…
Ex-GOP candidate allegedly hired people to kill witnesses in shootings of homes of Democratix politicians

Ex-GOP candidate allegedly hired people to kill witnesses in shootings of homes of Democratix politicians

Republican failed state house candidate Solomon Peña is facing more federal charges, this time on a murder-for-hire scheme.  Peña allegedly tried to hire two…
BLM announces final methane waste rule

BLM announces final methane waste rule

The federal Bureau of Land Management announced its final methane waste rule on Wednesday. These new regulations clamp down on the practice of venting…
U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

The U.S. Supreme Court heard the case about the regulations around mifepristone, one of a two-step regime for abortion medication, on Tuesday. FDA v.…

GET INVOLVED

© 2023 New Mexico Political Report