I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Jerome Block, Jr.
We reported in Wednesday’s Top Stories that Jerome Block, who is running for the Public Regulation Commission, was having trouble explaining two campaign payments to the San Miguel County Clerk, Paul Maez. (Block said the money was for Maez’s band to play at a ranch party, but the musicians said they never played.) And now Block admits that he lied.
According to the Las Vegas Optic:
Over the last week, the Block campaign has repeatedly stated that Wyld Country, to which Maez belongs, performed at a May 3 rally.
“I had every intention for Paul’s band to play for me. When time snuck up on us, it was too late for him to perform. I hoped that he would make up the gig at a later date,” Block wrote in an e-mail to the Optic.
“With all the pressure from the local media, I continued with the story that the band did perform. I was unsure how to reflect a refund and quite frankly didn’t want another story. But I feel I need to be forthcoming now,” Block stated.
Maez said earlier that he had returned the money after the event was canceled. Block’s finance report indicates that he paid the band $2,500, but it doesn’t show that the band returned it.
Furthermore, the Optic reports:
It’s questionable whether the May 3 rally even occurred. Block said Tuesday that 75 to 100 people attended the outside event at Amadeo Tenorio’s ranch near Romeroville. But no one besides Block and his campaign has come forward to say the rally happened.
Either way, how many bands do you know that charge $2,500 to play at a party in the middle of nowhere? Seems like a pretty sweet gig. …
For more on this story, check out the Santa Fe Reporter’s Swing State of Mind blog, where Dave Maass doing a hell of a job following the smoke to the source of the fire.
UPDATE:
Thursday morning, the Santa Fe New Mexican pointed out one of the many troubling issues here:
In the June primary, Block won a six-way race with 23 percent of the vote for the Democratic nomination in PRC District 3, which includes Santa Fe and a swath of northeastern New Mexico. Block was the top vote-getter only in San Miguel County while finishing anywhere from second to fourth in District 3′s other 11 counties.
Hmm…so let me get this straight: PRC candidate Jerome Block lies about paying $2,500 to the county clerk of the only county he won in a six-way race. Smells pretty bad.
According to the Reporter, the Secretary of State’s Office is expected to make a decision today as to whether or not to forward the matter to the Attorney General. Stay tuned.
