Last Friday, the first few shoots of that weed were exposed when three Democratic Legislators - Sen. Shannon Robinson, Sen. James Taylor, and Rep. Dan Silva - filed a lawsuit alleging illegal political activity involving one Eli Il Young Lee. According to the suit, Lee's Center for Civic Policy and the League of Young Voters New Mexico (now New Mexico Youth Organized) funneled money to six other non-profit organizations for the purpose of defeating both the targeted candidates and New Mexico Campaign Disclosure laws.
The lawmakers, all Democrats, allege in the lawsuit a "secret campaign" among opponents Eric Griego, Tim Keller and Eleanor Chavez to distribute literature, make phone calls to voters and funnel at least $180,000 of undisclosed campaign funds using local nonprofits.The game being played by Lee and his cohorts is to use non-profits like Lee's Center for Civic Policy to send out hit, uh... "educational" mail pieces and to provide other campaign services that target politicians who won't play ball with them.
Officials for the Center for Civic Policy said in May they had sent out literature for the Legislative Accountability Project in conjunction with several other nonprofits, including the SouthWest Organizing Project.The problem is that the mailers can't help but be coordinated since all of the players are associated with one another.
They said they sent the materials out as mailers starting after the end of the last legislative session as educational materials for voters based on the legislators' voting records, not as campaign materials intended to unseat lawmakers.
According to the lawsuit (it's posted on Haussamen here), candidates Tim Keller, Eleanor Chavez and Eric Griego (a long time Soltari client) shared a campaign manager, Neri Holguin. Holguin is a former employee of Eli Lee at Soltari and is the current Treasurer for Conservation Voters Alliance of New Mexico.
Meanwhile Keegan King another former Soltari employee runs New Mexico Youth Organized, is employed by 1Sky New Mexico where Lee is a "consultant," and is Executive Director of New Energy Economy, Inc. Another respondent, Javier Benavidez is the Executive Director of Conservation Voters Alliance and an employee of 1Sky New Mexico - again, where Lee is a "consultant."
You already need a score card to keep track of all of the players, their non-profits, and their entanglements and we haven't even gotten to the other non-profits like Southwest Organizing Project, ACORN (like they've ever been above board), or the role that Congressional Candidate Martin Heinrich played as an advisor to New Mexico Youth Organized when the illicit campaign cash was being meted out.
The filing further alleges that the non-profits were used to raise and funnel tax deductible contributions to the three campaigns, along with providing manpower for get out the vote efforts. The candidates are alleged to have full knowledge of the contributions and in fact are purported to have approved individual mail pieces distributed by the non-profit organizations.
The lawsuit truly does read like a who's who of far left activists and political groups and even names George Soros as a funding source. We'd like to say that we were shocked about former Councilor Heinrich's involvement, but like Eric Griego he has a long standing relationship with Lee through Soltari.
Folks, these guys are not the United Way or your local church. They're using multiple non-profits as a front for professional political activism and allegedly funneling tax deductible donations to illegally alter the outcomes of elections. In the final analysis, Lee and his cronies are no better than the corporate lobbyists that they attack in their "Hal and Bob" ads. In fact, they're probably a hell of a lot worse considering that these political "non-profits" purport to be supporting the grassroots when they're actually choking them out.
14 comments:
somebody should do something.
HEH FOR MAYOR 2009!
You do realize that this lawsuit amounts to little more than sour grapes by a trio of long term business as usual Marty Chavez style Democrat incumbents who are bent out of shape that they lost their primaries to younger, more progressive candidates right?
I live in James Taylor's district and did not receive any negative mailers about him, but I did have Eric come to my door in person to explain his platform and ask for my vote. I've never seen James Taylor in my entire life, let alone campaigning door to door.
Eric won the primary by over 25%. This is just an attempt by the good ole boys' network to keep senate seats in the hands of reliably corrupt senators.
Additionally, your attempt to link this alleged wrongdoing (of which there is currently no proof, only accusations) to Martin Heinrich with nothing but a tentative association is pretty disgusting.
I also enjoy the fact that you're standing on a soapbox screaming about non-profits allegedly campaigning against a candidate (again, there is no evidence that this negative campaigning even occurred) when less than a month ago you were enthusiastically praising the "Swift Boat Veterans For Truth", which was entirely a creation of the GOP and existed only to smear the military service of John Kerry and did so quite publicly.
In short, even if you were right (you are not) you would still be a tremendous hypocrite.
Griego and Company all saw the mail and OKed it before it went out. Check their e-mail and phone records.
Once again, where is Brandenburg? Fraud is a crime. Shouldn't the DA prosecute crimes?
This will be very interesting to keep an eye on! The fact that this lawsuit is filed as a civil suit allows for many details about the business tactics of communist Eli Lee! The plaintiffs can keep asking questions to which the defendants will have to answer such as contracts, business contacts, business relationships, etc. Many of the state's contracts that Lee brokered have been handed down by Lt. Guv Denish! I wonder when she will play her hand in this mess! Also, I suspect that other political victims of these groups will come out on the offensive also. These groups have run successful smear campaigns on others and I believe that this lawsuit will help to "out" some of the key players of those smear campaigns. Awesome job Eye... although I have been trying to get someones attention to this for like 5 years now! There is no "i" (Soltari, Inc logo) in Democrat! The real DINO's are these progressives! Just visit Soltari.com and click on clients to see whom this lawsuit will out!
James Taylor stole money from the poorest high school in town. I have NEVER supported James Taylor, and I'm glad to see him gone. By the way, his thieving ways are a matter of public record.
brandenburg is in marty's clan!
No,Brandenberg is in Marty's pocket!!!
I'd be interested to hear some details on this alleged theft on the part of James Taylor. That dude really strikes me as a sleazeball.
What is sad is the comments here fall back on Brandenberg, Marty, James Taylor when the real problem is the ignorance of the public and the media apathy (save the Eye).
People don't know, are too stupid to understand.
Umm...conservation voter's alliance?? That doesn't even exist. Why don't you do a little fact checking yourself before you go on with your own spear campaign. What a ridiculous post.
Media apathy? The media is the one who's making a big deal out of this silly allegation. There was a giant article about it in the Sunday Journal.
The people that take the GOP talking points (that this is somehow a legit lawsuit and not just sour grapes) as gospel (as presented by the Eye, Mario Burgos, and other local GOP mouthpiece blogs) are the ones who are "too stupid to understand."
If you really want Political Drama, why don't you prove yourself useful and use your "eye" into researching and "looking" into the dealings Marty Chavez made in selling out Albuquerque's water rights and development to people not even FROM new mexico!
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