Using some intuitive thinking, Barry Massey of the AP, examined recently released Lobbying disclosure reports to identify $900,000 in contributions to our State's elected officials since April of 2005. In his report, Massey identified the following:
almost $228,000 of the political contributions that lobbyists reported giving since late April went to Governor Richardson.
Among the largest contributors to the governor's re-election was a managed care company that has a contract with the state for medical services for the poor and disabled through the Medicaid program. Presbyterian Health Plan gave $50,000 to Richardson's re-election campaign in November, according to a disclosure report filed with the secretary of state. The state announced in May that it had reached contracts with Presbyterian and two other companies to administer Medicaid's managed care system.
Other large donors to Richardson's campaign: $50,000 last month from Isleta Pueblo, which operates a casino; $15,000 in November from Forest City Covington, a real estate developer involved in the Mesa del Sol project on state trust land in the Albuquerque area; $10,500 from Zia Park racetrack and casino in Hobbs, with $10,000 given in November and $500 in July; and $10,000 in December from Altria Corporate Services, a subsidiary of the corporate parent of cigarette maker Philip Morris and Kraft Foods.
Forest City Covington contributed $25,000 to Land Commissioner Pat Lyons, who's running for re-election, and $5,000 to Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.
Presbyterian gave $41,500 to the campaigns of about three dozen legislators and political committees of legislative leaders. Isleta Pueblo contributed about $20,000 to the campaigns of 15 legislators.
Navajo Refining Co. of Artesia gave $22,250 to about four dozen legislators and other state officials, including $2,500 to Denish.
Other highlights of the piece include Tickets to a Denver Broncos game to Speaker Ben Lujan and tickets to a World Series Game in Houston to Land Commissioner Pat Lyons from a Lobbyist for ConocoPhillips.
And as Mr. Massey noted, "under state law, there's no limit on campaign contributions to candidates for the Legislature, governor and other statewide offices such as attorney general.
In the wake of a kickback scandal involving two state treasurers, Richardson is asking the Legislature to approve an anti-corruption package that includes changes in campaign finance reporting and a ban on campaign contributions from prospective contractors while they're negotiating or bidding for government work.
Richardson's proposals would not impose an across-the-board limit on the amount a campaign contributor can give to legislators or statewide officers such as the governor."
One thing to note, is the difference in headlines between the NewMexican and the Journal. The NewMexican headline underbid the story going with the following headline: "State goverment: Lobbyists shell out $750,000 to officials"
To read the $900,000 report,
click here. For the $750,000 report in the New Mexican,
click here.
Barry Massey, sir, my hat off to you this morning.