Dianna Duran, New Mexico’s Republican Secretary of State, faces 65 criminal charges for corruption, ranging from fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering to identity theft. The identity theft charge was added by Democratic Attorney General Hector Balderas’ office on Friday, after it was alleged that she falsely listed former State Senator Don Kidd as her campaign treasurer, without Kidd’s knowledge or involvement in filling out Duran’s campaign reports.
Duran’s prosecution will test the state’s tough new public corruption law that was enacted in 2012. The law provides strong sentencing enhancements for elected officials found guilty of public corruption.
Duran was elected in 2010 during the tea party wave, and ironically, she won by decrying the ”culture of corruption” in the state of New Mexico. Inexplicably, New Mexico voters elected her to a second term in 2014, despite the ethical cloud hanging over her.
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However, as the allegations of criminal activity continue to mount, calls for resignation have grown louder. In addition to facing criminal charges, the state of New Mexico has also initiated an impeachment investigation targeting Duran.
As Secretary of State, Duran has alleged widespread voter fraud in New Mexico, in order to justify voter suppression efforts. In 2011, she accused 64,000 New Mexico voters of casting fraudulent ballots in the 2010 election. However, after investigating the 64,000 allegedly fraudulent votes, her office determined that, at most, 19 ballots were illegally cast in the state. Perhaps she thought fraud was more widespread, because grifters naturally think everybody else is as corrupt and dishonest as they are.
As the evidence grows that Dianna Duran has turned the Secretary of State’s office into her personal criminal enterprise, one can only wonder if New Mexico voters will feel duped by her efforts to “fight corruption” publicly, while engaging in it privately, on a massive scale. If Duran wants to root out the culture of corruption in New Mexico, she need look no further than the nearest mirror. Then after taking a long look at herself, she should do the right thing, and resign.
Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.
