Just a few months after announcing a task force to overhaul campaign finance practices in New Mexico, state officials are still not clear on how many violations are being investigated. “We are currently in the process of compiling our list of candidates still out of compliance for referral to the Attorney General at this time,” Ken Ortiz, chief of staff and spokesman for Secretary of State Dianna Duran’s office, said in an email Friday. Attorney General Hector Balderas’ office released one violation referral from Duran on Friday. More are expected to be disclosed by June 10, the Daily Times in Farmington reported.
Balderas and Duran formed a joint task force in February to review issues of campaign finance reporting, enforcement and the referral process.
The newspaper found Duran’s office only collected 4 percent of roughly 2,000 fines imposed on candidates during the 2012 and 2014 primary and general elections. Furthermore, she waived 34 percent of the other fines and never collected another 62 percent.
Full Article: Number of campaign finance violations in New Mexico unclear – The Santa Fe New Mexican: Local News.