SUN reporter Kevin Deutsch broke a startling news story this week. The State Treasurer, Laura Montoya, may not—may not—be great at handling money.
A hearing will be held on a date not yet announced to determine if she violated state finance disclosure laws on campaign financing.
A speedy hearing and conclusion are needed on this issue. Public trust in our state government is at risk. Let us remind you what Deutsch is reporting, and prior to the hearing you can decide how you view the facts on this issue. Here is the top of today’s story:
“The State Ethics Commission’s general counsel found probable cause supporting allegations New Mexico State Treasurer Laura Montoya failed to properly report $10,000 in campaign contributions and falsely claimed the money came from two LLCs, rather than a PAC, records show.
“Montoya’s alleged violations of state campaign finance and disclosure laws were made in a formal ethics complaint filed by former Secretary of State Tim Eichenberg against Montoya, his successor in the treasurer’s office.
“Eichenberg alleged Montoya violated New Mexico’s Campaign Reporting Act when she accepted two $5,000 checks from LLCs registered with the names Sheriff’s Posse Road 1 and 2 but falsely reported the money came from Adelante Sandoval, a Bernalillo-based PAC, according to State Ethics Commission records made public Friday.
“Eichenberg, who left office after serving the maximum two consecutive terms, also alleged Montoya – a fellow Democrat – failed to correctly report her employment on her 2022 Financial Disclosure Statement by falsely stating she was self-employed, the records show.”
New Mexico politics as usual? We think not. Let’s get on with the hearing.