You’d think the Treasurer’s office scandal that rocked the public’s faith in NM’s elected officials would make every politician in the state go above and beyond what is minimally required when it comes to reporting campaign contributions. Of course, you would be wrong. This is taken from an editorial in yesterday’s Journal (subscription):
Last weekend Gov. Bill Richardson flew to a southern California luxury development for a golf tournament held to raise cash for his 2006 gubernatorial re-election bid.
How much did he score? Richardson won’t tell New Mexicans how much was raised until May.
Why? Because he doesn’t want to. And because he doesn’t have to. State law doesn’t require the information be made public until the first campaign finance reporting deadline.
You’ve got to wonder, “What is Governor Richardson thinking?” Doesn’t he realize that the whole Treasurer scandal revolves around campaign extortions by elected officials from California businessmen. Now I’m not saying that the Governor is extorting money in return for political favors; however, in light of the current crisis of confidence in New Mexico, you would think he might be a little more forthcoming with the donor list. Is that too much to ask?