King: Signals His Priorities on Driver's Licenses

Gary King

Santa Fe New Mexican - The Attorney General's Office on Wednesday said Gov. Susana Martinez's campaign committee might have violated campaign laws by spending money on radio ads in support of a bill to prohibit driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. In a letter to Secretary of State Dianna Duran, Albert Lama, deputy attorney general, said Duran's office should reconsider its decision that the Martinez ads were not in violation of the Campaign Reporting Act. "Although you did not seek our advice in this matter, we are concerned that your interpretation of the Campaign Reporting Act is unnecessarily broad and may open the door to use of campaign contributions contrary to the Legislature's intent," Lama wrote.

Dianna Duran

But Lama's letter doesn't suggest that the attorney general is going to take any further action. In February, Martinez's campaign committee spent $5,648 on radio spots that urged listeners to contact legislators and tell them to support bills aimed at stopping the practice of issuing driver's licenses to undocumented people. The effect was not successful. The House and Senate couldn't agree on the driver's-license bill, so it died. Somos Un Pueblo Unido, an immigrant-rights group, and Common Cause, a group that has advocated for election reforms, complained that the ads violated the Campaign Reporting Act.

On March 3, Duran wrote Somos, saying, "Susana Martinez meets the definition of a "candidate" who has authorized her campaign committee to make expenditures for the purpose of seeking future election to office. ... I have no reasonable belief that Susana Martinez for Governor Committee committed any violation of the Campaign Reporting Act, and I do not intend to refer this matter to the Attorney General or a District Attorney." Martinez and Duran are Republicans. Attorney General Gary King is a Democrat. Read full story here: News New Mexico

King: Signals His Priorities on Driver's Licenses