The attorney for Toby Martinez, partner of former Mayor Ken Shultz and Senator Manny Aragon in corruption charges, told the Journal Sunday that he was surprised there weren't more indictments! As my Sunday morning coffee mates said, he is either getting ready to cop a plea for his client who will then flip more guilty parties the Prosecutors way, or he is just trying to make his client look like a minor player. I don't think he is a minor player since he got half of the $4 million dollars that was pilfered from the Metro Court construction kitty.
Now, as I understand it many other large construction projects using state appropriated funds might also be looked at. However, the statute of limitations might have run out on most of them. But those limitations don't apply if they involve racketeering. So if connections with some of the main players can be drawn to those other projects then this will get to be a huge case. Some of these could involve the Bernalillo County Court House, the District Attorney's Office, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, the new Bernalillo County Jail to mention a few.
I have heard a lot from my non political friends about all of this over the weekend. My golfing friends are all disgusted and all feel that all politicians are crooks. (I guess they think I am not or they wouldn't be playing golf with me.) They feel both Democrats and Republicans are just as guilty of corruption but that Republicans do it on a more sophisticated and grander scale. Think no bid contracts for Halliburton.
And the legislature went home without enacting meaningful campaign and ethics reform. Only in New Mexico!
1 comment:
I did notice that NM GOP operative Mario Burgos was quick to claim that Ken Schultz is now a Republican. Very curious.
We do need some housecleaning in the NM Democratic Party. Manny's indictment is a symptom of a party that needs a lot of new blood in its leadership and direction. Public funding of all elected offices would be a good start. Established Dems would then get real primary opposition from the grassroots. Right now it is very difficult for anyone not connected to people with money or gave a substantial amount of money to have a real shot at being elected.
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