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.
Earlier this year, state Rep. Dan Silva filed a lawsuit with two fellow Democrats, Sens. Shannon Robinson and James Taylor, after the trio lost in the June 3 primary. The lawsuit alleged that several nonprofits and the three challengers who defeated them conspired to hide $180,000 in campaign money used to mount strenuous campaigns against them.
It had all the markings of an inner-family dispute with factions of the Democratic Party battling for supremacy.
A campaign finance report filed this week, however, shows that Silva, the veteran Albuquerque lawmaker, has received $5,000 to help pay his fees related to the lawsuit. The source of the help is a political action committee more associated with the Republican Party than with his own party.
New Mexico Turn Around PAC, which is linked to the powerful oil and gas Yates family, is listed as giving Silva $5,000 on Oct. 9.
Silva also has figured in another very public dispute — the one between the GOP and ACORN, the voter registration organization. Silva supplied the Republican Party with some of the voter registration forms the GOP used at a news conference earlier this month as “bombshell” proof of voter fraud during the June 3 primary. The $5,000 from New Mexico Turn Around is listed as having gone to Silva a week before the GOP voter fraud press conference.
Silva, contacted Thursday afternoon, said he and the Yates family are friends and there is nothing more to the monetary help.
“They are just friends of mine,” Silva told the Independent. “Everything for me is nonpartisan.”
Later in the interview Silva, who is the powerful chairman of the House Transportation Committee, defended taking the money, saying it would help him defray the legal bills. Jason Bowles, a prominent Albuquerque lawyer, is representing Silva in the case against the non-profits.
“Do you think the [Democratic Party] is going to help me?” Silva asked. “Who is going to help me win this lawsuit other than my friends and myself?”
Harvey E. Yates Jr. is listed as the treasurer for the New Mexico Turn Around. Garth Simms is listed as president.
So far this cycle, the PAC has given more than $150,000 to GOP candidates across the state who are attempting to knock off Democratic incumbent lawmakers or — in one case — to win an open legislative seat.
Dan Silva
Silva, who appears to have been the only Democrat to receive help from New Mexico Turn Around on its most recent campaign finance report, can sound a little bitter when he talks about the Democratic Party these days.
“The Democratic Party put me out of office,” Silva told the Independent. “Leadership — they didn’t lift a finger to help me in the primary. I didn’t get a call.”
Silva lost to Eleanor Chavez on June 3 in a contest that turned nasty toward the end.
Silva said he thinks ACORN worked in concert with Chavez to help defeat him.
And he is not shy about articulating his suspicions that some of those who registered to vote with ACORN and others, and who went on to vote against him June 3, may have voted illegally. That is why he shared the voter registration forms with GOP representatives, he said. Silva said he doesn’t know how many forms he turned over.
“Of course (ACORN) they were helping my opponent with all these nonprofits,” Silva said.
