MLG flaunts opulence with $368 per plate catered meals at the gov’s mansion

10 Comments / New Mexico, News, Politics / By Renato Costa

Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is at it again with lavish spending on catering at the governor’s mansion.

According to a report from the Santa Fe New Mexican, Lujan Grisham blew $7,336 in taxpayer money on food, labor, bar supplies, and glass rentals provided by the Santa Fe-based Adobo Catering for a January 18 legislative event, which was one of the less-extravagant gatherings she hosted, presumed for the 112 legislators and one of their guests (coming out to $32.75 per plate if 224 people attended). However, some legislators did not attend, many being Republicans.

A catered event for seven people in January with Sandia Pueblo Gov. Stuart Paisano cost a whopping $2,582, coming out to $368.85 per plate.

Three other dinners, some with former staffers, her Public Safety Secretary Jason Bowie, and state Sen. Michael Padilla (D-Albuquerque) cost a combined $2,200.

A February breakfast for freshman legislators cost $1,679, totaling $104.93 per plate, if all 16 legislators attended (or were invited). One Republican freshman legislator told the Piñon Post they never recalled receiving an invitation, so it may have only been for the Democrat freshmen. In that case, the cost of the nine freshmen, including appointed Rep. Art De La Cruz (D-Albuquerque) and returning Rep. Joseph Sanchez (D-Alcalde), would be $167.90 per plate, including the governor.

“While there were a few purchases of wine, none of the expenses is likely to ignite any outrage,” the report noted. Alcohol purchases with taxpayer dollars are prohibited.

Lujan Grisham’s spokeswoman Maddy Hayden defended the opulent spending, claiming, “The governor does not take her duty as a steward of taxpayer funding lightly.”

The governor previously came under fire for wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars used for $200-per-pound Wagyu beef steaks, ahi tuna, and expensive wines and liquors, all totaling up to around $13,500. This all happened while New Mexicans were forced to stand in long breadlines at grocery stores due to Gov. Lujan Grisham’s restrictive public health orders.

As we exclusively reported in December 2021:

According to the documents obtained in the IPRA, the taxpayers paid Abobo Catering $1,057.27 for a party, totaling over $150 for each person’s expensive meal.

The menu included “[s]ous vide and butter-basted beef tenderloin with roasted vegetable Napoleon and rosemary red wine demiglace.” Dessert included a “chocolate pear tartlet with hazelnut crisp.” According to the memo, the bar, bar supplies, and “dinner wine” were provided by the “client,” i.e., possibly the taxpayers in another form.

MLG flaunts opulence with $368 per plate catered meals at the gov’s mansion Read More »

MLG used taxpayer money for reelection party at Governor’s Mansion: Report

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

According to a report from the Santa Fe New Mexican, scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham used taxpayer dollars to fund a political event at the Governor’s Mansion promoting her reelection efforts.

“Documents obtained under a public records request show New Mexicans for Michelle, the governor’s campaign committee, issued the state a $1,837 check in December to pay for expenses stemming from a Democratic Governors Association party hosted by Lujan Grisham in Santa Fe,” the New Mexican reported.

The report continued, “Expenses reimbursed by the campaign include an $890 purchase from Colorado Party Rentals for 100 12-inch ivory-gold chargers, 100 10-inch ivory-gold dinner plates and stainless steel forks, knives and teaspoons.”

Despite the Governor’s contingency fund barring her from using it to purchase alcohol and the State Auditor’s Office finding previous violations, public documents show that Lujan Grisham made at least eight purchases of alcohol, including liquor, wine, and beer.

Previous reviews of the Governor’s spending show she has spent lavishly on $200/lb Wagyu beef steaks, wine and beer, and even personal dry cleaning with taxpayer funds. This is just the most recent abuse of power committed by Lujan Grisham.

But her campaign spokeswoman, Kendall Whitmer, claimed, “The campaign transparently and expeditiously reimbursed the state for an event hosted by the Governor as chair of the Democratic Governors Association.”

“The largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history rages, but instead of the Governor being able to focus solely on the emergency response, Michelle Lujan Grisham faces yet another ethical scandal,” said Republican Governors Association spokesman Will Reinert. “Whether ‘crotch grabs’ or taxpayer money spent on luxury items, voters remain tired of the constant string of scandals coming out of Governor Lujan Grisham’s office and must demand new leadership who can focus solely on turning the state around.”

MLG used taxpayer money for reelection party at Governor’s Mansion: Report Read More »

As NM families struggled, MLG had swanky taxpayer-funded dinner party

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

While New Mexicans suffered one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates, record-high inflation, and soaring gas prices Michelle Lujan Grisham traveled to Scotland for a “climate change” summit called “COP26,” which focused on funding climate change extremism through cooperation between global stakeholders.

At the Scotland event, scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced radical job-killing proposals she aims to ram through the 2022 Legislative Session that will not only cripple New Mexico’s energy economy but will harm the poor in significant ways. Many of her cabinet secretaries and staff joined her.

At the time, the Governor’s spokeswoman Nora Sackett bragged about how the taxpayers would not be funding the trip, claiming a climate change dark money group would be footing the bill instead.

However, once Lujan Grisham arrived back in New Mexico, Inspection of Public Records Act requests revealed that in early November, right after she got back from the vacation-style “climate” excursion, the taxpayers footed the bill for a swanky seven-person dinner party at the Governor’s Mansion.

According to the documents obtained in the IPRA, the taxpayers paid Abobo Catering $1,057.27 for the party, totaling over $150 for each person’s expensive meal.

There is no mention of this gathering on Lujan Grisham’s public schedule.

Western States Director for the pro-energy group Power The Future wrote regarding the Governor’s lavish taxpayer-funded meal, “As if her junket to Scotland wasn’t enough, the Governor decided the taxpayers also need to foot the bill for an extravagant dinner. For Michelle Lujan Grisham to spend days demonizing our energy industry in Europe only to turn around and use the funds it generates for a lavish dinner tells you all you need to know about her hypocrisy.”

Throughout the pandemic, Lujan Grisham has broken her lockdown orders to buy lavish jewelry and she spent thousands in taxpayer dollars on $200/lb Wagyu beef steaks, fine wine, and liquor. This all came as New Mexicans were forced to stand in bread lines during the holidays due to her strict 75-person capacity limit in grocery stores.

After her taxpayer-funded Wagy and fine wine spending, she gave what some characterize as an apology, saying, “When people are struggling, should it be fair that residents (of the governor’s mansion) literally have a locked-up grocery store closet … that has libations and catering stuff and food?”

“I don’t want New Mexicans to feel like I don’t take seriously their hardship,” she added at the time. It does not appear she is taking their hardship seriously now, as at least 40% of small businesses in the state have been closed and New Mexicans still struggle to survive, especially as winter is coming and the cost of staying warm has risen exponentially.

The Piñon Post reached out to the Governor’s office for comment but has not yet received a response. If a statement is provided, this story will be updated.

As NM families struggled, MLG had swanky taxpayer-funded dinner party Read More »

MLG has her latest ‘Wagyu’ moment

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

On Thursday, The Federalist published an article revealing another “Wagyu” moment with scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, this time regarding her big promise to force through a “Clean Fuel Standard” making all residents drive cars that get at least 52 miles per gallon.

Through an Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) request done by Larry Behrens of the pro-energy group Power The Future, the group found that the Governor’s own car averages only 13 miles per gallon fuel economy — a blatant act of hypocrisy as she seeks to force New Mexicans to abide by a nonsensical fuel standard.

As previously reported by the Piñon Post, the Governor’s “clean car standard” for everyday citizens would mean forcing New Mexico’s citizens — a state with some of the poorest people in the nation — to buy expensive “fuel-efficient,” “green,” “hybrid,” or fully electric vehicles — crippling New Mexicans’ bank accounts and forcing thousands to either break the law, walk, or not travel at all. It would plunge countless people into financial ruin, resulting in an economic catastrophe for New Mexico.

The news of the Governor’s clean fuel standard push comes following enviro-Marxist groups pushing for a 500% increase in electric vehicles in New Mexico.

The Federalist writes, “Refusing to adhere to their own environmental standards has become a routine practice among politicians who aggressively promote a left-wing climate agenda. Earlier this month, the New York Post reported President Joe Biden climate czar John Kerry’s private jet has taken 16 trips this year alone. Private jets emit 5 to 14 times more pollution than commercial planes per passenger, and 50 times more than trains.”

Behrens commented that “While not as bad as John Kerry’s private jet, Governor Lujan Grisham’s actions surely deserve an Honorable Mention for the most green hypocrisy in the country,” He added, “Make no mistake, her eco-left allies will stay quiet about her gas-guzzling ways because they care more about political power than being honest.”

The report notes other far-left priorities Lujan Grisham has had for New Mexico, including her pandemic lockdowns that forced New Mexicans to stand in freezing hours-long breadlines to get food and basic goods over the holidays.

The Federalist compared the clean fuel standard edict hypocrisy to the Governor’s Wagyu fiasco last year:

Grisham’s office also landed in hot water in February when a review of six months’ worth of invoices, receipts, and expense reports revealed thousands of dollars in groceries purchased from the governor’s contingency fund. As New Mexicans waited outside capacity-limited grocery stores in lines during the winter, more than $6,500 in groceries were delivered to the governor’s residence, according to the Albuquerque-based KOB 4 Investigates Team.
“According to receipts made public through an Inspection of Public Records Act request, the items include anything from laundry detergent to Wagyu beef, tuna steaks, top sirloin and hundreds of dollars in alcohol purchases,” KOB 4 reported.

The Governor’s mouthpiece, Communications Director Tripp Stelnicki said at the time the lavish spending was for meetings. He said, “They are sporadic, but they last a long time and so there’s food at those meetings often prepared. There are people at the residency who are all masked.”

The New Mexico House Republicans chimed in on Twitter, writing, “Never one to lead by example, @govmlg is now forcing an eco agenda on #ThePeople, and her own vehicle does not meet her “standards!” Smells like her Wagyu beef #PartyFund controversy all over again. How progressive!”

Never one to lead by example, @govmlg is now forcing an eco agenda on #ThePeople, and her own vehicle does not meet her “standards!” Smells like her Wagyu beef #PartyFund controversy all over again. How progressive! #nmpol #nmleg https://t.co/aTXwssgn6x
— NM House Republicans (@NMHouseGOP) August 26, 2021

MLG has her latest ‘Wagyu’ moment Read More »

Democrat State Auditor says MLG stuffing face with taxpayer-funded Wagyu is A-OK

Leave a Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By John Block

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.

[RESIST MLG’S WAGYU: Buy the OFFICIAL ‘Let Them Eat Wagyu’ T-Shirt at the Piñon Post store]

Democrat State Auditor says MLG stuffing face with taxpayer-funded Wagyu is A-OK Read More »

MLG quits munching on taxpayer-funded $200/lb Wagyu steaks just in time for reelection

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

According to Tripp Stelnicki, scandal-ridden Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s communications director, the Governor is allegedly no longer spending thousands of taxpayer dollars on $200/lb Wagyu beef, fine wine, or imported tuna steaks — just in time for election season.

Stelnicki told the Santa Fe New Mexican, “We don’t need an unnecessary headache and to give Republicans any more bull—- to talk about that they can exaggerate and run ads about and get people on Facebook screaming and making death threats and everything.”

It is unclear what Stelnicki is referring to with people “making death threats,” which is something never disclosed to the press, but he proved that the Governor is only clamping down on her out-of-touch spending because of election season. If she didn’t get caught in the first place trying to live like royalty in the governor’s mansion, then she would be sipping imported spirits and munching on luxurious Japanese steaks.

During the time she was feasting on these luxurious items from the comfort of the governor’s mansion, she forced New Mexicans to stand in breadlines in cold weather and wait for hours to buy food and basic goods.

“The last fiscal year spending from the [$96,000] contingency fund represents 0.00002 percent of the state budget,” Stelnicki wrote in a text message to the New Mexican. “It’s for readers to decide whether the scrutiny of this 0.00002 percent of the state budget is proportionate.”

“The Republican pushback was so aggressive and their messaging about it so, I would say, out of step with the context of this amount of money and what it is allowed to be used for, we said, ‘Spending should be significantly reduced,’ ” Stelnicki said.

“Forget doing the right things for the right reasons, Gov. Lujan Grisham will only halt her misdeeds if voters take notice,” Republican Governor’s Association spokesman Will Reinert said. “New Mexicans deserve a governor who doesn’t direct expletive-filled rants ridiculing the legitimate outrage citizens have about the misuse of taxpayer money to fund her bougie lifestyle.”

The most recent items purchased by Lujan Grisham with taxpayer funds included $50.78 for the two slabs of ribs and $134.56 for a dozen bottles of New Mexico wine. The purported purpose for these was a series of dinners “with former and current office holders … to celebrate the state’s progress towards ending the pandemic and discuss other official business with respect to the state’s recovery,” Stelnicki said.

The Santa Fe New Mexican further reported:

The bottles of wine weren’t “fancy,” he said.
“These were $11 bottles of wine,” he said. “If you’re drinking a cheaper wine, you’re probably in college.”

One Piñon Post reader responded to the comment, saying that Stelnicki was “Calling NM wine cheap and if you are buying any cheaper wine you are re probably in college. These are local, hard-working New Mexicans and [the Governor] is insulting their product!”

This is definitely not the first time Lujan Grisham has made expensive payments from taxpayer funds or her campaign account. She previously paid $62,500 in hush money to an ex-staffer who alleges she poured water on his crotch area and then groped him. She also spent upwards of $6,000 on hair and makeup payments to her daughter, Erin Grisham, a cosmetologist.

MLG quits munching on taxpayer-funded $200/lb Wagyu steaks just in time for reelection Read More »

Gov. MLG threatens special session as early as Wednesday to ram through recreational pot bill

1 Comment / New Mexico, News, Politics / By John Block

Legislators worked into the wee hours of the morning on Saturday debating legislation, with many bills still bottlenecked on the House and Senate floor calendars as the end of the legislative session comes at 12:00 noon.

Much of the debate was on HJR 1, which seeks to raid the land grant permanent fund for “early childhood education,” better known as taxpayer-funded daycare.

Right after midnight, the House of Representatives voted on a proposal, S.B. 304, relating to voting district geographic data, which was amended on the floor to create an independent redistricting commission. The amended compromise bill between a bipartisan and Democrat-led proposal takes the power of redistricting away from the dark rooms of the Roundhouse and opens it up to the public in a fair, less partisan way. After a lively debate, the bill passed 64-2 with Rep. Eliseo Alcon (D-Cibola & McKinley) and Majority Leader Sheryl Stapleton (D-Bernalillo) voting against the bill.

In a previous committee, Alcon complained about an independent commission taking away representatives’ “rights” to redraw their own districts, saying, “I don’t think it’s our duty to give up our rights.” He did not like the idea of a seven-member commission making the decisions, not him. “If these seven people really want to be part of the redistricting, then they should run for our spots,” he said, adding, “I will be a solid no matter how you look at it,” despite the majority of people in the committee hearing in support of giving more power to the people.

Due to the bottleneck of radical Democrat legislation, it was revealed in the wee hours of the morning that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham intends to call a special session as early as Wednesday to ram through her extreme recreational marijuana bill, according to one representative.

The Albuquerque Journal confirmed this, with the Governor’s communications director Tripp Stelnicki saying that a special session could be called “sooner rather than later,” adding “there was a largely-agreed upon framework in place between the Governor’s Office and lawmakers.”

“Nobody wants to wait another year — it’s too close to being done,” said Stelnicki.

However, it doesn’t look like the Wagyu steak-eating Governor cares much about the political ramifications of her actions, despite a special session being “politically risky,” with a daily cost of around $50,000 per day, according to the Journal.

After it was revealed the Governor intends to call a special session, the New Mexico House Republicans wrote, “UNBELIEVABLE. After spending $2 million on a fence blocking YOU from the Roundhouse for a year- Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has FAILED to get her showpiece marijuana bill across the line. She now says she will call us back next week. Taxpayers, the Gov’s agenda is on your dime.”

Other bills are still stuck on the House and Senate calendars, including S.B. 11, the gas tax on the poor, S.B. 316 to harvest “gender” and “sexual identity” data from New Mexicans, and S.B. 230 instituting racism in state agencies and many other proposals, which as the clock ticks on look dead in the water.

While we stood in breadlines, Gov. Lujan Grisham feasted on $200/lb Wagyu beef steaks and liquor

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

Just a few short months ago, Democrat Gov. Lujan Grisham was forcing New Mexicans to stand in freezing cold breadlines to buy food and toilet paper. Little did we know, while New Mexicans were being treated like pond scum, Gov. Lujan Grisham was living the high life in her hilltop mansion, indulging herself and her staff in $200-per pound cuts of Wagyu beef, fine wine, and liquor–all on the backs of hardworking taxpayers. The same folks standing in the freezing cold over the holidays and not allowed to see their families due to Lujan Grisham’s health orders.

But to defend the indefensible, the Governor sent out her trusty misinformation jabberwocky, Tripp Stelnicki, to spin the story. He claimed, “There are still meetings with cabinet and staff that are distanced small groups,” Stelnicki said. “They are sporadic, but they last a long time and so there’s food at those meetings often prepared.” According to Stelnicki, “they were fed gourmet meals” during these sessions. To remind you, meetings such as this are in stark violation of Lujan Grisham’s public health orders. The review of her finances was completed July 1st through December 31, “a time period when Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham restricted capacity of grocery stores, urged New Mexicans to limit time out of their homes and restricted business operations through a series of emergency public health orders.”

She previously demanded, “Do not mix up households–coming into contact with non-household members. It is high-risk,” telling people, “No hugging” when “mixing households” over the Thanksgiving holiday.

According to KOB 4, “The receipts we reviewed show about $350 in alcohol purchase for beer, Crown Royal, an assortment of wines and tequila. According to Stelnicki, these alcohol purchases were made over a period of time for a future staff party after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.”

“The staff at the residence have, I think, been guilty of optimism, that with declining case numbers,” Stelnicki said. “We might get to a place where there could be a safe gathering. I think everyone has been guilty of that from time to time over the course of COVID. And so some of those purchases have been made, whether it’s planning for or hoping for a different kind of gathering with legislators or partners, whoever it might be. That hasn’t happened. So those purchases are sort of just there. And they’ll be used after COVID. Hopefully, soon.”

New Mexicans also footed the bill for the Governor’s dogs, who apparently are being treated better than New Mexicans who have been mistreated for months. Hundreds of dollars has been spent on cleaning up the dogs’ messes, according to the report.

The spending was reviled by Democrats and Republicans alike, with Democrat chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee saying, “My feeling about it is, is that there are certain things that should not be paid for by the taxpayer. I did say that I do not believe that alcohol expenses are one of those things unless it’s an official event.”

Gov. Lujan Grisham has repeatedly lied to New Mexicans, violated her public health orders to buy luxury jewelry, belittled New Mexicans from Hobbs to Española, gave her staff raises while New Mexicans lost their businesses and starved, and now, the details of her extravagant lifestyle paid for by the hard-working taxpayer doesn’t even seem to be a surprise anymore.

KOB 4 tried to give Lujan Grisham a break by contrasting her spending to that of her predecessor, Gov. Susana Martinez, who did indeed spend the taxpayers’ money irresponsibly and used her position to indulge herself while harassing State Police officers. But passing the buck to the past administration is weak and shows a hollow and tired argument. It is of my opinion that the New Mexico governor’s “allowance” should be bare-bones and minimal, allowing only for costs of survival and that’s it. New Mexicans should not be forced to pay for a slush fund for anyone, much less the Governor so she feast while we starve.

Will Lujan Grisham reimburse New Mexicans for her lavish lifestyle? Unfortunately, the answer is likely no.

Read more on Lujan Grisham’s hypocrisy from the Piñon Post: