EBT cards intended to help needy  families have bought vacation cruises out of Miami and illegal drugs in Spokane, Washington.  They’ve been used to gain entrance to Graceland, Disneyland, and Universal Studios, and many far less family-friendly establishments. In Boston, a jailed heroin dealer instructed a friend to tap EBT cash for bail money. An unlicensed tattoo artist in Minnesota accepts [...]Read More>>

A “culture of complacency” prevailed inside the New Mexico Finance Authoritt, the New Mexico Securities Division concluded in its in-depth report on the controversy surrounding the agency’s forged 2011 audit.  Internal controls inside the New Mexico Finance Authority began breaking down almost a year before the agency announced publicly that its 2011 audit had been forged.  [...]Read More>>

The University of New Mexico pays salaries greater than $100,000 to 1,120 people.  The highest paid person on UNM’s payroll is Paul Roth, the Health Sciences Dean, who pulls down $518,640.  James Harrington, an assistant professor of neurosurgery, makes$450,000.  David Harris, the Executive Vice President of the University, is paid $293,500 Robert Debesse, an assistant [...]Read More>>

Booze, blackjack, butts and babes. New Mexico welfare funds turned up in surprising places in a two month period of EBT card transactions examined by New Mexico Watchdog. The money is supposed to be used for life’s essentials to help needy New Mexico families with children.  A prior report showed transactions on New Mexico-issued EBT cards in [...]Read More>>

New Mexico Attorney General Gary King’s office says it found insufficient evidence to prosecute any criminal charge against Rep. Ray Begaye arising out of his claims for travel expenses.  But a New Mexico Watchdog review of the AG’s file found documentation of repeated instances where Begaye submitted false vouchers seeking payment of travel expenses he [...]Read More>>

The construction of a $146 million addition to the University of New Mexico Hospital hit a couple potential snags at a meeting of the state’s Board of Finance on Tuesday (Dec. 18) but Gov. Susana Martinez said after the meeting she was “optimistic” the project can still go forward. “We currently have thousands of New Mexicans [...]Read More>>

The Questa School Board is still in time out. On Monday (Dec. 17), the secretary-designate of the New Mexico Public Education Department, Hanna Skandera, ruled the board — which has essentially rendered itself paralyzed by infighting — has been suspended until new members are sworn in after a school board election scheduled in February.. The board has [...]Read More>>

A couple from Colorado who lost their unborn son in a car crash in San Miguel County allegedly involving a drunk driver — who already had three DWI convictions — met with Gov. Susana Martinez on Monday (Dec. 17) and told Capitol Report New Mexico they are willing to speak in committee meetings in the [...]Read More>>

W. Ken Martinez is about to fulfill one of his lifelong dreams, following in his late father’s footsteps by becoming the Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives. On Friday, House Democrats chose their party leaders for the upcoming 60-day session that begins Jan. 15 and Martinez was accepted by acclamation to replace former Speaker [...]Read More>>

It looks like there was plenty of blame to go around at the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA) but at least there doesn’t appear to be any money missing. That’s the upshot of a long-awaited report from the State Auditor’s Office released Friday (Dec. 14) in Santa Fe looking into how and why a faked audit [...]Read More>>