Lawsuit accuses Bregman’s campaign manager of shady spending scheme
A new civil lawsuit from the New Mexico State Ethics Commission is shedding an unflattering light on a left-wing “dark money” group closely tied to Democrat leadership, raising serious questions about transparency and legal compliance in the state’s political landscape.
The group, New Mexico Safety Over Profit (NMSOP), stands accused of failing to report more than $56,000 spent lobbying against a critical medical malpractice reform bill. The Ethics Commission alleges NMSOP violated the Lobbyist Regulation Act and Campaign Reporting Act by omitting the campaign from their required post-session disclosures.
What makes this case especially telling is the political connection: NMSOP’s executive director, Jon Lipschutz, just happens to be managing anti-gun Democrat gubernatorial candidate Sam Bregman’s campaign. Bregman, who currently serves as the 2nd Judicial District Attorney, did not respond to requests for comment Monday morning.
Originally formed under the more benign-sounding name Fairness for New Mexico Patients, NMSOP is registered as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, meaning it’s not legally required to disclose its donors under federal law. These types of groups, often used by the left to shield major funders from public scrutiny, are commonly referred to as dark money organizations.
Despite their federal tax status, NMSOP is still obligated to comply with New Mexico’s campaign finance laws—a fact the Ethics Commission emphasized in its June 10 civil complaint filed in state court. According to the commission, the organization did report some of its political spending during the 2025 legislative session, but conspicuously omitted reporting an aggressive advertising campaign aimed at derailing medical malpractice reform.
Those ads reportedly included placements in the Albuquerque Journal and Santa Fe New Mexican, as well as a staggering $56,000 worth of political ads on Facebook. The commission is seeking a court order to compel NMSOP to fully disclose its 2024 financial activities, including revealing the names and occupations of donors to the campaign, and to impose a penalty of $5,000.
Lipschutz dismissed the lawsuit as a “distraction” and claimed his group is confident it followed the law. He pivoted to attacking out-of-state hospitals and insurance companies, saying it was “telling” that the Ethics Commission had chosen to “single out the one organization fighting to protect patients.”
But the Ethics Commission wasn’t buying that deflection. Executive Director Jeremy Farris made clear the issue is about transparency and accountability. “NMSOP has publicly stated that transparency and accountability are core to its mission, yet it refuses to comply with basic disclosure obligations,” he said. “This lawsuit is about ensuring that all organizations advocating for legislative change follow the same legal standard.”
While Democrats in New Mexico and nationwide rail against so-called “dark money” when it suits their agenda, this case shows how willing they are to embrace opaque and potentially unlawful methods when the political ends justify the means. Voters should ask themselves: If Democrats can’t be trusted to follow basic campaign finance laws now, how can they be trusted to lead the state?
Lawsuit accuses Bregman’s campaign manager of shady spending scheme Read More »