Governor's reelection committee returns excess campaign cash after drawing new complaint
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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's reelection campaign said Monday it has returned $1,200 to the Pueblo of Santo Domingo after it contributed more than the statutory limit.
The governor's reelection committee, New Mexicans for Michelle, returned the donation after it was named in a second ethics complaint accusing it of taking campaign contributions exceeding limits set by New Mexico's Campaign Reporting Act.
Last October, the campaign returned $4,200 in funds it had received from Intrepid Potash, a Denver-based corporation with operations in New Mexico. The company had made a $25,000 contribution to support the governor, exceeding the state's $20,800 limit on total contributions to a candidate for that office.
On April 29, the Stop MLG political action committee, which opposes Lujan Grisham's reelection, filed its second complaint with the New Mexico's State Ethics Commission with evidence of another donor who exceeded the limit by $1,200.
According to campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State's Office, the Pueblo of Santo Domingo contributed $22,000 to the campaign across three donations.
On Jan. 4, 2021, the pueblo made two donations of $5,000 and $7,000. Then, on April 4, 2022, it gave an additional $10,000, making the pueblo the largest single donor to the governor's campaign.
Santo Domingo Pueblo Gov. Sidelio Tenorio did not immediately respond to a query from the Las Cruces Sun-News.
The statute permits candidates for governor to receive twice the $5,200 limit for other candidates, for the primary and general election cycles — $10,400 apiece, or $20,800 in total.
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"The campaign refunded the excess contribution and is in compliance with guidance set by the New Mexico Secretary of State," campaign spokesperson Kendall Witmer wrote the Sun-News on Monday.
Stop MLG's director, Brett Kokinadis, called for the ethics commission to enforce "maximum civil and criminal penalties" under statute, stating in his complaint, "This is the second violation Michelle Lujan Grisham's Campaign Committee has committed in the 2022 election cycle" pertaining to campaign donations.
New Mexico's Campaign Reporting Act provides for civil penalties up to $20,000 and forfeiture of unlawful contributions. While the State Ethics Commission may pursue civil penalties, criminal sanctions against persons who "knowingly and willfully" violate the law are enforceable by the New Mexico Attorney General or District Attorney of the county where a candidate resides.
Kokinadis, a former Democrat who founded the group New Mexico Democrats for Democracy before affiliating with the Republican Party, was a primary candidate for Congress in 2020.
The Stop MLG committee registered with the state in early 2021, and its top contributors include state House minority leader James Townsend's campaign committee as well as the state Republican Party's executive director, Kimberly Skaggs — herself recently accused of a federal campaign finance violation, although she has denied any wrongdoing.
Lujan Grisham, a former congresswoman who was elected governor in 2018, is seeking her second term in the Nov. 8 general election. She faces no challenger in the June 7 Democratic primary.
In its April 11 campaign finance report, New Mexicans for Michelle reported raising $2.67 million in contributions since October while spending a little more than $1 million, leaving it with nearly $3.8 million on hand and no debt.
Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonWrites on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Gov. Lujan Grisham committee returns campaign cash after complaint
