On Thursday, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported that scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s use of tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to buy fancy $200/lb Wagyu steaks, fine wine, and hard liquor is fine, according to far-left Democrat State Auditor Brian Colón, who is seeking the nomination for attorney general in 2022.
Colón, who has failed to hold other government leaders accountable, such as allegedly corrupt former Gov. Susana Martinez who paid off state funds in hush-money settlements, said that the office found “there is no indication any of the expenses” violated state law.
“Statutory authority remains ambiguous without definitions [within the law] concerning what constitutes ‘expenses directly connected with obligations of the elected office of governor,’ which could be broadly interpreted, or what could be considered ‘perquisites or allowances for state employees,’ ” a report released Wednesday states.
“As a result, the New Mexico state Legislature may wish to review the matter and consider whether further statutory clarification is necessary with respect to the fund,” the report concluded.
“We take every complaint that comes into the Office of the State Auditor seriously, just as we did this one,” Colón said to the New Mexican. “It’s quite obvious that the statutory language is vague, and I would encourage the legislative body to contemplate reviewing this statute and coming up with an updated statute if they’re uncomfortable with the current approach on this contingency fund.”
The review by the agency found the current statute that oversees the lavish $96,000 contingency fund may not provide “adequate guardrails.”
After the State Auditor’s conclusions, Will Reinert, a spokesman for the Republican Governors Association said, “New Mexicans struggled just to feed their families while Governor Lujan Grisham lived like a queen on their dime,” He added, “Voters do not need a report crafted by a cast of lawyers to feel that using taxpayer money for luxury food and alcohol was a slap in the face and a morally rotten thing to do.”
Lujan Grisham is currently under investigation by the state Ethics Commission, which will determine whether her use of over $6,000 in campaign funds on hair and makeup paid to her daughter as “media preparation” is permissible.