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2015-09-16 04:24:46 UTC
SANTA FE, N.M. One of New Mexico's highest-ranking officials
pleaded not guilty Tuesday to fraud, embezzlement and other
charges after being accused of funneling campaign contributions
to her personal bank accounts and withdrawing large sums of
money at casinos around the state.
Two-term Republican Secretary of State Dianna Duran sat silently
next to her attorney, who entered the pleas on her behalf in
state district court. It marked her first public appearance
since the charges were leveled in a 64-count complaint more than
two weeks ago.
They have sent shockwaves through political circles and raised
questions about enforcement of the state's election and campaign
finance reporting laws.
Duran and her lawyer slipped out a back door at the courthouse
after the arraignment. Television cameras pursued them, but they
refused to comment.
Under conditions of release set by the judge, Duran will be
allowed to perform duties related to her position despite
prosecutors' requests that she not have access to private or
public funds. However, Duran has been a no-show at her $85,000-a-
year elected post with the exception of some conference calls
with staff.
"She's still the sitting secretary of state," her attorney,
Erlinda Johnson, told the judge. "She is presumed innocent. She
has not been convicted of any offense."
Johnson sought to have many of the charges dismissed, arguing
about jurisdiction and saying that Duran's rights to due process
were being violated. The judge denied the motions.
Calls for Duran to resign continue, and state lawmakers on
Tuesday approved up to $250,000 in state funds to investigate
the charges as part of impeachment proceedings. Duran has been
silent, making no statements since she was charged.
The complaint filed by the state attorney general's office stems
from a confidential tip received last year.
The case has prompted disappointment and frustration among
voters, political observers say.
"We have no idea how to measure the impact, but the general
effect is one of disillusionment with government and politics,"
said Christine Sierra, an emeritus professor of political
science at the University of New Mexico.
Duran tapped into those same feelings of voter frustration to
craft her platform when she first ran for secretary of state in
2010. A native of the southern New Mexico village of Tularosa,
she wanted to turn around an office that had been the focus of
federal investigations and was known for being dysfunctional.
One of only a handful of Latina women in the nation to hold a
statewide office, Duran has spent most of her life in public
service. She worked her way up from a technician in the Otero
County Clerk's Office to the New Mexico Senate, where she served
for 18 years.
She also was the first Republican elected to the New Mexico
secretary of state's office in more than 80 years. Despite stiff
competition from a Democrat, she was re-elected in 2014.
Duran's reputation as a lawmaker and later as the state's top
elections official never raised any flags.
Former Republican state lawmaker Janice Arnold Jones
characterized the current allegations as a "personal fall from
grace" during a recent call-in show on KUNM radio.
"It appears to me this is truly a gambling problem and there
were personal choices, but it really didn't have anything to do
with her ability to do the job in office," she said.
It's no doubt a credibility issue for Duran, but observers say
the bigger question now is whether the case will spur lawmakers
to take on reforms that have long proven to be elusive, such as
the creation of a state ethics commission and tougher
enforcement of campaign finance laws.
Duran's next hearing was set for Oct. 23. It could be December
before she returns to court for a preliminary hearing, when it
would be decided if there's enough evidence for the case to move
forward.
http://www.startribune.com/new-mexico-secretary-of-state-due-in-
court-on-fraud-charges/327633401/
pleaded not guilty Tuesday to fraud, embezzlement and other
charges after being accused of funneling campaign contributions
to her personal bank accounts and withdrawing large sums of
money at casinos around the state.
Two-term Republican Secretary of State Dianna Duran sat silently
next to her attorney, who entered the pleas on her behalf in
state district court. It marked her first public appearance
since the charges were leveled in a 64-count complaint more than
two weeks ago.
They have sent shockwaves through political circles and raised
questions about enforcement of the state's election and campaign
finance reporting laws.
Duran and her lawyer slipped out a back door at the courthouse
after the arraignment. Television cameras pursued them, but they
refused to comment.
Under conditions of release set by the judge, Duran will be
allowed to perform duties related to her position despite
prosecutors' requests that she not have access to private or
public funds. However, Duran has been a no-show at her $85,000-a-
year elected post with the exception of some conference calls
with staff.
"She's still the sitting secretary of state," her attorney,
Erlinda Johnson, told the judge. "She is presumed innocent. She
has not been convicted of any offense."
Johnson sought to have many of the charges dismissed, arguing
about jurisdiction and saying that Duran's rights to due process
were being violated. The judge denied the motions.
Calls for Duran to resign continue, and state lawmakers on
Tuesday approved up to $250,000 in state funds to investigate
the charges as part of impeachment proceedings. Duran has been
silent, making no statements since she was charged.
The complaint filed by the state attorney general's office stems
from a confidential tip received last year.
The case has prompted disappointment and frustration among
voters, political observers say.
"We have no idea how to measure the impact, but the general
effect is one of disillusionment with government and politics,"
said Christine Sierra, an emeritus professor of political
science at the University of New Mexico.
Duran tapped into those same feelings of voter frustration to
craft her platform when she first ran for secretary of state in
2010. A native of the southern New Mexico village of Tularosa,
she wanted to turn around an office that had been the focus of
federal investigations and was known for being dysfunctional.
One of only a handful of Latina women in the nation to hold a
statewide office, Duran has spent most of her life in public
service. She worked her way up from a technician in the Otero
County Clerk's Office to the New Mexico Senate, where she served
for 18 years.
She also was the first Republican elected to the New Mexico
secretary of state's office in more than 80 years. Despite stiff
competition from a Democrat, she was re-elected in 2014.
Duran's reputation as a lawmaker and later as the state's top
elections official never raised any flags.
Former Republican state lawmaker Janice Arnold Jones
characterized the current allegations as a "personal fall from
grace" during a recent call-in show on KUNM radio.
"It appears to me this is truly a gambling problem and there
were personal choices, but it really didn't have anything to do
with her ability to do the job in office," she said.
It's no doubt a credibility issue for Duran, but observers say
the bigger question now is whether the case will spur lawmakers
to take on reforms that have long proven to be elusive, such as
the creation of a state ethics commission and tougher
enforcement of campaign finance laws.
Duran's next hearing was set for Oct. 23. It could be December
before she returns to court for a preliminary hearing, when it
would be decided if there's enough evidence for the case to move
forward.
http://www.startribune.com/new-mexico-secretary-of-state-due-in-
court-on-fraud-charges/327633401/