Foundation Violated Lobbyist Act

Bryant Furlow

VeritasNM - An attorney for the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation’s board of directors has acknowledged in a May 10 letter to Secretary of State Dianna Duran that Foundation officials likely failed to comply with the state’s lobbying law. “I have advised the Foundation that the Board should adopt a policy that if any officer or member of the Board engages in contact with the legislature on behalf of the Foundation, that person should register pursuant to the statute,” attorney Brad L. Hayes wrote. “Further, I will advise the Board to place the subject as an automatic annual agenda item to remind Board members and Foundation officials of the obligation. Frankly, I do not believe anyone at the Foundation viewed their minimal activities as falling within the definition of lobbying, however, those activities clearly are not excluded” from the law, Hayes wrote.

Clara Apodaca

Sec. Duran had directed Apodaca on April 26 to submit “under penalty of perjury” a written explanation of Foundation violations of the state Lobbyist Regulation Act since 2006. In 2007 and 2008, the Foundation secured $812,500 in legislative capital outlay appropriations. The move followed reports by Veritas New Mexico that Foundation records indicated state funds intended for completion of the Center’s Torreón Building fresco had been used to reimburse the Foundation for lobbying expenses, even though Foundation officials and staff had not registered as lobbyists or submitted lobbying expenditure reports to the Secretary of State’s office, as required by law. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Foundation Violated Lobbyist Act