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McCamley Calls For Investigation Following Report Alleging "Pay To Play" By Martinez Administration

Bill McCamley-New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Secretary

Commentary: Las Cruces, N.M. – Today,  Democratic N.M. Representative and Chair of the New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee Bill McCamley called for an investigation after International Business Times reported a major break through in another Governor Martinez pay-to-play scandal. The news article goes in depth into the details of donations to Governor Martinez’s campaign and the wasteful use of tax payer dollars by the Martinez administration to give special advantages to donors.

In a letter to the N.M. Attorney General, N.M. Auditor and U.S. Attorney, N.M. Rep. McCamley writes, “I am concerned, especially given that these investments represent hard working New Mexicans’ public funds.” The letter calls for the New Mexico Attorney General and New Mexico Auditor  to investigate any possible violations of the Governmental Conduct Act, state disclosure laws, campaign finance laws, Securities & Exchange Commission rules and the State Investment Council's Code of Conduct.

The news story goes on to point out the malicious pattern of pay-to-play tactics in Governor Martinez’s administration including:

In some cases, New Mexico investments flowed to firms whose top officials gave directly to Martinez -- even though the Securities and Exchange Commission’s pay-to-play rule aims to prevent such donations. Some investments went to donors to the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) -- which delivered money to Martinez-linked super PACs. Other investments went to donors to the Republican Governors Association (RGA), which Martinez chaired after it spent $2.5 million in New Mexico to boost her campaigns.

This breaking story has major ramifications, and N.M. Representative Bill McCamley is calling for an investigation to determine whether the Republican administration is again putting the interests of their well-connected friends ahead of New Mexico families.

This is not the first time Governor Martinez has been involved in a play-to-play scandal. In 2013, the Governor completely destroyed New Mexico’s behavioral health system to give contracts to donors from Arizona. She received a $5000 donation from K12 Inc., a company the state has employed to run a controversial A-F grading system in the public schools. And in the last legislative session, she tried to get a sweetheart dealfor a large campaign contributor through the legislature while leaving them blind about the contributions.