Senator’s spending fails the smell test

Jack Sullivan

From NMPolitics.net - by Jack Sullivan, candidate for Democratic Primary in state senate district 39 - Would you describe NFL football tickets, golfing, new tires and credit card payments as “constituent events?” That’s how State Senator Phil Griego describes them and that’s how these expenditures show up on his campaign finance report. To me, this fails the smell test. I believe it also breaks state law. State Sen. Phil Griego, one of my opponents in the June Democratic primary, spent thousands of dollars of campaign contributions last year to buy NFL football tickets and fix his personal vehicle. He paid off his credit card, bought $7,500 in new furniture and spent almost $10,000 playing golf. In fact, in the last two years, when his seat was not up for re-election, Griego raised almost $92,000, primarily from large corporations and lobbyists, and spent nearly $83,000 on so-called constituent services. As a lifelong advocate for open and ethical government, this is a real problem to me. Clearly, Phil Griego has strayed far from the path of responsible and accountable government for New Mexicans. State law forbids elected officials from using their campaign funds for personal expenses. On numerous occasions I believe Senator Griego has broken this law, which is why I’ve asked the secretary of state to request the attorney general to investigate the senator’s finance reports. New Mexicans deserve to know. read more

Senator’s spending fails the smell test