New Mexico’s Democratic attorney general filed a 64-count criminal case against Republican Secretary of State Dianna Duran accusing her of embezzlement, money-laundering, campaign finance violations and other offenses. Attorney General Hector Balderas office said they would provide evidence to support the allegations through a preliminary hearing. Spokesman James Hallinan declined to release further information.
Duran’s attorney, Erlinda Johnson, told the Albuquerque Journal newspaper in a statement they had just received the complaint and were reviewing it. “We ask the public not to jump to conclusions, and we look forward to addressing the allegations in court,” Johnson said, according to the newspaper.
DIANNA DURAN pleads not guilty to fraud!
Accused of missuing campaign contributions for personal expenses, a tip sparked the investigation alleging that she deposited large amounts of money into her personal bank account that did not line up with her known income streams. According to the complaint, funds were then transferred between her personal and campaign-affiliated accounts, culminating in “large debits for cash expenditures occurring at casinos throughout the state of New Mexico.”
Always follow the money and, although one is innocent till proven guilty, rarely does a charge like this happen without reasonable support in the form of evidence.
Again, according to the complaint, more than $430,000 was withdrawn from Duran’s bank accounts from eight casinos between 2013 and 2014, roughly as much as she reported on her joint tax returns from 2010 to 2013 combined. Beyond the allegation of embezzlement, other charges include money laundering, violations of the state’s Campaign Practice Act, charges of fraud, conspiracy, tampering with public records and government misconduct.
A practical question is – is this complaint politically motivated or evidence of intentional wrongdoing. If the claims are true this is a clear example of political ethics gone crazy. If not, then there is an equal challenge with political ethics where one uses power against another for political gain. Either way we have an ethical mess.
More to come in this unfolding drama.
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