State AG’s Charities Unit was a lead agency in the action against the sham charities

SANTA FE –  Attorney General Hector Balderas along with the Federal Trade Commission and an unprecedented group consisting of all fifty states and the District of Columbia, announced that the last two nationwide sham cancer charities named in the largest charity regulation case in history, are to be dissolved, their assets transferred to a receiver for liquidation, and their president banned for life from profiting from fundraising, consulting or conducting charitable activity March 30.

The stringent ban and total forfeiture of all assets available under the law was obtained through settlement...

District 22 Senate situation related to finances

SANTE FE – Sandra Jeff, a former member of the New Mexico House of Representatives who served District 5 for one term, apparently won’t be on the ballot for another political run this year.

At issue, are matters that deal with the Campaign Reporting Act.

Jeff filed to run for the District 22 Senate seat currently held by Benny Shendo of Jemez Pueblo. Shendo, who like Jeff is a Democrat, is ending his first term in the Senate.

“I heard that she’s not going to run after all,” Shendo said. “That’s about all I know.”

Amy Bailey, general counsel at the Secretary of State’s Office in Santa Fe, said Jeff failed to qualify...

SANTA FE – The New Mexico State Auditor’s Office announced on March 15 that a Public Education Department audit revealed more than 200 shortcomings.

The State Auditor’s office gave PED about a month to come up with an action plan to correct what the Auditor’s office called “weaknesses.”

State Auditor Tim Keller said in a press release the issues his office found were not minor.

“The problems that have been identified are far from technicalities, they are serious shortcomings in our state’s ability to ensure quality education to students across the state,” Keller said.

Auditors uncovered mismanagement of public funds and a lack of background checks at some charter...

Every dollar tied up in red tape is a dollar not circulating in New Mexico’s economy

SANTA FE – The Office of the State Auditor issued best practices regarding New Mexico’s system of funding capital projects.

The Fund Balance Report, released earlier this year, found that New Mexico’s capital project funds are the most vulnerable to unnecessary accumulation. The report identified $1.2 billion in unspent capital project funds throughout state agencies in the last fiscal year alone.

The OSA developed and released the best practices to help guide policymakers in addressing inefficiencies in the current capital project system.

“New Mexico’s capital project system is mired in...