Laura Montoya Archives

NM treasurer found guilty of violating state campaign reporting laws

7 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By Piñon Post

Democrat New Mexico Treasurer Laura Montoya has been found guilty of violating the state’s Campaign Reporting Act by the state Ethics Commission. The Democrat was found to have misreported campaign contributions. The case, Montoya vs. Tim Eichenberg, the former state treasurer, a Democrat, revealed a significant breach in campaign finance transparency.

The commission, presided over by hearing officer Alan Torgerson, reached its decision on September 29. Central to the case was a $10,000 straw donor contribution allegedly made by Adelante Sandoval, a political committee, as reported by Montoya. However, it has been disclosed that the funds actually originated from property developer Gary Plante. During the hearing, both Montoya and other witnesses conveniently could not remember key details relating to the campaign cash.

Judge Torgerson found it “highly unusual that the memories of the witnesses have faded so completely that they are virtually unable to recall anything substantive about the September 21, 2021, afternoon in question, or the fact that a large, apparently unexpected, contribution appeared immediately after a campaign event in Corrales and yet they have no memory of the circumstances or details of that contributions.”

In an additional layer of complexity, two companies under Plante’s management channeled the $10,000 in campaign funding. The New Mexico Ethics Commission, in its report, underscored the discrepancy between the reported source and the actual contributor.

The Commission’s executive director, Jeremy Farris, emphasized the importance of transparency in electoral funding. He noted that while individuals have the right to support candidates financially, the public also has a corresponding right to be informed about the sources of such contributions.

Farris explicitly condemned straw donor contributions, such as the one exposed in this case, as undermining the transparency essential for fair elections.

Highlighting the broader implications, Farris stated, “Straw donor contributions, like those uncovered in this administrative case, undermine transparency in our elections. If wealthy individuals want to give thousands of dollars to candidates for office, that’s their right; but they can’t do it in secret.”

Farris added, “New Mexicans also have a right to know who is spending money to influence their votes. The State Ethics Commission works to ensure they do.”

“We disagree with the judge’s ruling,” said Montoya’s attorney, Kenneth Stalter. “I don’t think the evidence supports it, so we’re looking at the options for appeal.”

Montoya was given a slap on the wrist with a meager fine of $1,000.

New info reveals Dem state treasurer candidate’s alleged abusive behavior

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State treasurer’s ethics in question amid campaign finance cover-up scandal

8 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By Piñon Post

According to a report by the Rio Grande Sun, an ethics case filed against State Treasurer Laura Montoya, a Democrat, is going forward. The complaint, made by Montoya’s predecessor, former State Treasurer Tim Eichenberg, also a Democrat, alleges Montoya failed to properly report $10,000 in campaign contributions, falsely claiming the money came from two LLCs.

“Eichenberg alleged Montoya violated New Mexico’s Campaign Reporting Act when she accepted two $5,000 checks from LLCs registered with the names Sheriff’s Posse Road 1 and 2 but falsely reported the money came from Adelante Sandoval, a Bernalillo-based PAC, according to State Ethics Commission records made public Friday,” the report detailed.

The LLCs are named Sheriff’s Posse Road 1, LLC, and Sheriff’s Posse Road 2, LLC, managed by Oklahoma resident Gary Plante. Adelante Sandoval, the PAC, was founded by Chris Daul, a New Jersey trial attorney, and New Mexico transplant.

Records show the $10,000 was donated to Montoya following a luncheon with Monoya’s campaign treasurer, Donald “Donnie” Leonard, Plante, Plante’s son, Michael, and others. Following the luncheon, Leonard testified that he and Plante went to the bank to withdraw two cashier’s checks for $5,000 each from the LLCs.

The Sun further reports:

Mr. Plante testified that Mr. Leonard provided Adelante Sandoval’s name to the woman issuing the checks and that Leonard “delivered the checks to Adelante Sandoval,” whose two owners, including Plante, were “private people” who wished to act as a conduit for the $10,000 contribution, the filings show.
“Mr. Leonard testified that he did not recall delivering the check…Plante denied making contributions to Adelante Sandoval with the intent to mask the true source of the contributions to [Montoya},” Boyd wrote.
Daul, who manages the Adelante Sandoval Pac, told Boyd he “did not recall when or how I received the two hecks…the two checks may have been handed to me, but I cannot be certain.”
After reviewing evidence in the case, Boyd found it “likely [Montoya] provided Mr. Daul with the earmarking instruction” regarding the LLCs.

Ethics Commission General Counsel Walker Boyd later found “probable cause” for the case to move forward. Boyd found that the $10,000 cash infusion “came at a critical time in the primary election cycle” and “Without the $10,000 contribution, [Montoya] would have raised less money than her opponent.”

Montoya also consulted with Democrat Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver via text message to see how to report the contributions, according to commission filings.

The case is set to be heard by Ethics Commission Hearing Officer Hon. Alan Torgerson (ret.), a former federal magistrate judge. Montoya could face fines of $1,000 for each campaign reporting violation and forfeiture of the two $5,000 checks.

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Dems advance bill to give governor, other politicians a $60K pay raise

28 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By Piñon Post

On Monday, the New Mexico Senate Finance Committee voted 8-3 to pass S.B. 442, which would give the governor and other statewide elected officials a hefty $59,714 pay raise.

In addition to Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, all other statewide officials, including Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, Attorney General Raúl Torrez, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, State Auditor Joseph Maestas, Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, and Treasurer Laura Montoya would get the raise.

According to the bill’s fiscal impact report, “Current law requires salaries from elected officials be paid from the general fund, except for the commissioner of public lands, who is paid from the state lands maintenance fund.”

During the committee’s consideration of the bill, Sen. Bill Sharer said, “Those are huge numbers; I never got an increase like that,” adding, “I’m concerned by these, what appear to be, colossal pay raises.”

Toulouse Oliver was happy to admit she wants a pay raise, claiming she would “welcome” the salary bump.

She said, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican, “We have lives and families to support just like everybody else.”

“This isn’t so much about making money — none of us went into government to get rich or to make money…. I just need to be able to pay my bills and deal with inflation, the cost of living that’s really high right now. I’m a single mom, so for me, it’s much needed and very welcome and appreciated.”

Currently, the governor makes $110,000, while the auditor, treasurer, and secretary of state all make $85,000. The attorney general makes $95,000, and the land commissioner makes $90,000 annually.

The bill now goes to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration.

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New info reveals Dem state treasurer candidate’s alleged abusive behavior

7 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By John Block

As things heat up in the final stretch of election season, one race that hasn’t gotten much attention is the New Mexico state treasurer’s race. That is, until now.

Recently, allegations have resurfaced from the past of Laura Montoya, the Democrat candidate for New Mexico state treasurer. Montoya was called out in the Democratic primary for her prior arrest for domestic violence in front of a child.

The primary attacks came from the current Democrat State Treasurer, Tim Eichenberg, who, it is said by some, is supporting the Republican nominee for State Treasurer, Harry Montoya (no relation to Laura Montoya).

Now Harry Montoya is giving voice to a previous employee of Laura Montoya at the Sandoval County Treasurer’s Office.

Judi Walker worked at the Sandoval County Treasurer’s Office for three years and reports in her story of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Laura Montoya that she was also ordered to do campaign work on county time–an order that she refused numerous times.

She also states that every employee in the office went to HR and asked for help or for someone to do something about Laura Montoya’s behavior. She also states that she was not the only one who also complained to the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). Unfortunately, since Laura Montoya was an elected official, there wasn’t anything anyone could do. People in other county offices were said to have loathed Laura’s behavior as well since it would spill over into other offices and divisions of county government.

Walker also says that more than 12 people were fired or resigned during the time she worked for Laura Montoya–the turnover in the office was unheard-of.

Sandoval County Commissioner and former candidate for governor Jay Block weighed in on the controversy this week by backing up Judi Walker’s account of what happened, saying that he has talked to multiple people who experienced the same abuse first-hand. He also talked about an email that had been sent by another former employee of Laura Montoya’s, which has been shared and circulated online as the result of a public information request.

In the shocking email, Young details the abuse and ugly language that Laura Montoya directed at her employees.

“You know, if it was just Judi’s word against Laura’s, you could just kind of throw that out,” Block said. “I get that. But then you throw Richard’s word into that. And then you look at Laura’s legal issues. People are petrified that this woman could be elected state treasurer. You talk about somebody who’s narcissistic, … abusive, and [has] a toxic work environment…I won’t name who told me this, but they literally performed an exorcism in the office after she left.”

Block also hinted in his video that Richard Young, who is black, was also the target of racist abuse hurled at him by Laura Montoya.

Watch all of the testimonies from Walker:

Laura Montoya has also been seen photographed with members of the Los Padillas Gang, including Jerry Padilla, among other questionable figures. Read more about some of the Gang members’ federal guilty pleas here.

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