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The "C" Word - Why Carol Asked about Corruption
Candidate Statement:
The “C” Word -
Its Time for Strong Ethics Laws in New Mexico!
During the KOAT Channel 7 debate on October 19, Carol Miller, Independent for Congress, asked Ben Ray Lujan about his time as Deputy Treasurer while illegal activities were occurring. These crimes sent both Lujan’s boss Michael Montoya and Robert Vigil, the next elected State Treasurer, to federal prison.
Miller also referred to several internal corruption cases at the PRC while Lujan was chairman.
“I have been asked why I chose this question so I am issuing this statement,” said Miller. “I have also been thanked by many people for asking about a doubt they share. I have been fighting corrupt politics in New Mexico for a long time and I wanted to hear Mr. Lujan’s response. He did not answer the question and instead his response highlighted his lack of experience and poor judgment.”
“I should have asked more directly about the corruption in the Insurance Division because I still want to know why Joe Ruiz is going to federal prison and paying a $103,000 fine while his boss Eric Serna collects a retirement and lifetime health care paid for by New Mexico taxpayers”
Ben Ray Lujan chaired the PRC at the time and arranged the golden parachute for Serna. In fact, during the whole time Serna was being “investigated,” Lujan kept him on the payroll collecting vacation pay. At the time of the “investigation” Lujan told the Associated Press that, “he had "every faith" that [Attorney General Patricia] Madrid would conduct the investigation “swiftly and ethically.”
How was it possible for the PRC and its chairman to ignore the fact that a large part of what Madrid was “investigating” were payments to the Con Alma Foundation? This was a complete conflict of interest and a real investigation should have occurred with an Independent Investigator. Madrid was involved with establishing Con Alma with settlement funds from Blue Cross-Blue Shield of New Mexico. Madrid negotiated the settlement and then saw oversaw Eric Serna becoming President of the foundation.
PRC Commissioner at the time, E. Shirley Baca voted against the retirement deal using strong language like "settlement contingencies amounted to "holding us hostage.... "It's like nothing ever happened. ... Suddenly he just retired" (http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2006/05/22/68682.htm)
Miller is not accusing Lujan himself of corruption but believes that he fails to see the early warning signs of corruption because they are so accepted in New Mexico. With the recent sentencing of former Senator and President Pro Tem of the NM Legislature also headed to federal prison, Miller is challenging her opponent to join her in taking a strong position for comprehensive Political and Ethics Reform Laws in New Mexico. And although he has not chosen to enact strong ethics rules in his seven years as Speaker, Lujan Senior can make it happen now.
“It is time to stand up for honest government and put this long, dark chapter behind us. No more cover-ups. No more using state government as a machine dedicated to personal enrichment and entrenched political power. The state is in a financial crisis that will affect all of us. We are tired of nepotism and cronyism. We want to know that every dollar is being well spent, not wasted, skimmed, or stolen,” said Miller.
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