This was one of the cases that former U.S. Attorney David "I'm not in my officer right now, please leave a message" Iglesias was sitting on two years ago. This was one of the performance issues stupidly referred to by former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. This is one of the cases that didn't get moving until after Iglesias was sent packing... but we digress.
The patron system in New Mexico certainly lost a power player in yesterdays proceedings. Federal attorneys contend that the conviction sends a strong message to public officials who might be lining their pockets with public money. However, the deterrent effect is somewhat lessened by the fact that this case fell into the Fed's lap and without a civil court case where two contractors were fighting over company assets, Manny and company would have gotten away clean.
(Sidebar)We have a dismal record prosecuting public corruption cases in New Mexico primarily because government has been dominated by one party for over 80 years. The pressure on elected officials to "go along to get along" is enormous. Particularly when they run in the same circles and count on each other's support to keep their jobs. Even honest officials don't want to cross someone as powerful as the former Senate Pro Tem was at the height of his power.
A note to Kari Brandenburg... This is how you plea bargain. The U.S. Attorney brought down Aragon's house of cards by flipping defendant after defendant. Unlike your "deal with the devil" the pleas entered into by the U.S. Attorney included agreements to testify against Aragon. Meanwhile two potentially innocent men sit in prison accused of killing Pak and Pung Yi. If you believe the two were involved your deal with Bloomfield should have included testimony.
(End Sidebar)
The fact is that although the Era of Manny is over, the fastest way to clean up the system is to wash out the players who use their political power for everything from the petty to the profitable. We can't count on the Feds to get lucky and we can't expect elected officials who play on the same team to prosecute their teammates. And so... the Patron System lives on.
38 comments:
Tell that to your lil friend Torraco - she is the one who worked with Kerr on the plea.
Why didn't she think of that?
Check it out, Eye. Or is the point just to bash Kari?
marty and margaret chavez are just as dirty as manny. why doesnt anyone look into the kickbacks marty gets?
i bet manny doesnt see a day in jail or prison. he took millions of dollars... all of which hes using to pay for his attorney, im sure.
Iglesias's firing actually delayed the Aragon case. I don't see why you continue defending Gonzales on this - it was clearly a case of revenge against Iglesias for not sacrificing justice for political advantage. Iglesias wanted to go to trial on this case in the summer of 2007 but was fired for not sacrificing some of the strength of the case to prosecute it in October of 2006 to give Heather Wilson a boost in her re-election bid. That's the kind of crap that you (rightly) go crazy about when a Dem does it but when its the GOP you ignore or even applaud it - why is that?
As you may have noticed, its now October 2008. That means that Iglesias's firing actually delayed justice for Aragon until less than three weeks before the election. Isn't it even mildly suspicious to you that they somehow did all this right before an election *again*? I don't have any doubt that Manny is a criminal and almost certainly embezzled ten times as much money as he actually got busted for but to see someone supposedly involved in law enforcement applauding manipulation of the justice system to benefit the candidates of one party over another is very disappointing. I can only hope that whomever the next president is de-politicizes the Justice Department.
Manny was about 20 years over due for this fall
FYI you got to have a good case from Law Enforcement if you want to roll defendants. It all doesn't fall on the DA's Office.
The patron "bushie" pressured Dominichi and Heather to go after manny. They in turn pressured Iglesias who told them he's handling it. Back up the chain it went and Gonzales then fired Iglesias (and others). Gonzales then gets canned then Dominichi "retires" and Wilson looses. "bushie" then has an all time unfavorable rating as presidente. NOW THATS a patron system that got the Justice it deserves. By all means I belive Manny got what was comming to him too but the eye is again onesided And blinded by "righty" thinking.
The metro area LEO's have some of the best investigators in the nation. You must be one of Karis folks to have made the above comment. Too bad you blew it with APD and BCSO with the bad decisions you have made. Local law enforcement will never trust this current DA administration again.
The culture of corruption in New Mexico politics is just that - a culture. It is embedded; it is the way things are done.
Picking a piece of fruit (manny) from the tree, doesn't kill the tree. You can pick a hundred pieces of fruit from the tree and it will produce a hundred more to replace them.
Manny got caught. Others will get caught. The system will still continue to enable graft and corruption.
I say, dedicate one percent of the budget of every public works project to a full scale forensic audit of the entire project.
It can be made impossibly difficult to be corrupt without getting caught.
Our politicians lack the will to make corruption impossibly difficult. We lack the balls to give our servants orders that they don't want to follow.
This is a classic illustration of people getting the government they deserve. Why will you let another legislative session come and go without ethics reform, and never have showed up on the steps of the round house to protest?
one down many other still need to go!
what about Manny's cronies? Ray Sanchez and 99% of the defense attorneys downtown? When will THEY fall..Let's not forget the judges. That's a whole nuther subject.
I've been a resident of this state now since 1982 and this is the kind of crooks people put into office; why won't you folks learn; or maybe you just don't care . . . Yes I'm talking to you mostly Dems in this state, and then you complain when things go wrong! Services you right!!! I got a little PO'd when watching Manny on TV with those puppy dog tears in his eyes and at the end he bowed up and tried to be tuff. I would of swatted him back like the cheap two-bit thug he is . . .
What about that one corrupt guy, I forget his name; he is relatively small in nature, has a drinking and driving problem that continuously get covered up by various other officials. The name escapes me but he likes to get involved in others peoples business like telling them they have to microchip their dog, or you cant eat a candy bar our of a vending machine, and you cant talk on you cell phone while driving. These are just some of the idiotic ideas this small man has come up with. I think there was also something about an observation deck that was constructed without approval? Regardless of the name of this small man, he is one of the most corrupt individuals out there with the likes of many, ray, and all the other scum bags that this state continues to elect. Wake up people… put some people in office that have society as a whole in the front of their mind rather than themselves.
Marty Chavez is next! We need to end corrupt politics for good.
Until the people of this City and State are willing to do what it takes to hold our elected officials accountable to THEM - the system will continue. So instead of complaining - either support those who are trying to take action to hold these people accountable or shut up. Our Constitution has in place a mechanism to force officials to be held accountable but how many people are willing to put their name on it?
As to the DAs office, I think there are too many ADAs who have been there so long they cant see the forest through the trees and waste taxpayer's money to get the "win." Its supposed to be about justice. In reference to the two individuals still sitting in jail charged for murdering the couple that Bloomfield has now confessed to killing- they justify not dismissing the charges claiming "they believe they were still involved", how about charging one parent for abuse and the other walks around free with no charges even though more and more of the evidence points to the parent NOT charged? In all other cases of this kind BOTH parents are charged!
Wow. Alot of fingers are pointing at the Dems for corruption. Do we need to go over all the corruption on the Repub. side? Republicans would ignore it and deny it was a part of them like they do with Bush. The rightys are just as corrupt if not more so but cant get their heads out of their butts long enough to see the light. All corruption wheather Dem. or Rep. should be prosecuted and punished. But to call it a "culture" in NM is ignorant and insults the great leaders here who work hard for the people wheather Dems. or Rep. You dont like it here, pack your trash and leave because we dont need you.
It seems like we need more jails to house even our dishonest leaders.... Unfortunately, the folks that would do the right thing are usually smeared by the corrupt and many of us who's gut feeling is often times supportive of a good candidate are influenced to another because of a lie.... It’s the way of the world!
The poster that stated Manny is just one of the fruit is right on the money.
Anyone know why Marty's ex Margaret's maiden name is Aragon. Niece of Manny! Remember Margaret Aragon De Chavez, the queen of Albuquerque, Burque? Well, she was the relator that listed that court house land for $2 million over the apprasial and that was when Marty was mayor the first time. Think he didn't know or benefit??
And now he's probably gonna run for mayor again because he got term limits thrown out by one of his cronnie Supreme court judges.
We need him and his patrons out, out, out. Now we the people need to find someone that can beat that crook.
About the two murderers still in jail on the Yi case....one of them confessed with incredible detail. Should they let him out,Lisa? He implicated the other guy and the murderer just sentenced to 195 years implicated them. Should they go free and kill somebody else, and then you can blame the DA? Learn how the system and the law work BEFORE you run for office, idiot.
As for corruption, until the Rs get pat rogers, mickey barnett and dan foley out of town - SHUT UP !
Torraco takes $5K from Jason Daskalos and points the middle finger at the DAs office for being on the take....how rude and how disappointing lil lisa.
Apparently 10:12 doesn't understand the meaning of the word culture, or has not looked around themselves.
Of course there are corrupt politicians of both sides of the isle. But the Dems have been in control forever - and they own the institutional corruption and incompetence.
Lisa Torroco for DA. Learn the name, Novemeber 4th at 9pm it s over for Kari. All law enforcement and the citizens of Bernalillo County can take a sigh of relief while all the corrupt politicians will shake in their boots, I mean jail cells.
I'm tired of the same crooks. Time to throw them all out, including this little guy...what's is name??...and vote in all new people so we can bash new names.
The press took great pains to say Manny could get 67 months in a federal country club prison. Who, what about parole and good behavior? 24 months MAX! (we can only hope that much)
Then what, he can't be an attorney afterward.....spokesman for NutriSystem?
Who does law enforcement REALLY support Lisa or Kari? Let me know 'cuz I won't vote for anyone that law enforcement doesn't support.
re 3:20
who are the rank and file in the Sheriff's dept and the Albuquerque Police dept voting for?
Any body poll them?
Manny has been the chief crook in NM for decades, his siblings [including Chucky] are all in prison already, including that Semi-truck load of dope ya'll delivered to Las Vegas back in 93' ---
Anybody ever notice that his pinkie-ring is the exact same zia- symbol as the Los Padillas gang tattoo?
Manny.... your attny. reads this and your ass is [finally[ grass... thank g_d and I'm damn sorry it wasn't my case !
Ask the beat cop who they support, they will tell you Torroco. They arrest the same people again and agian because of Karis circus with plea bargains and the revolving door. Ask the Unions and they will say Kari because they are told to support her by the management. The real deal is on these blogs. Everyone is sick and tired of the corruption at all levels and want accountability. That is why I am voting for Lisa Torroco. I heard her speak last week and spoke to her for five minutes. She saw me in uniform and came up to me and asked me what changes need to be made. She is genuine and wants to bring respect back to the DA's Office. Good luck Lisa and our prayers are with you. You will need it.
Mayor Smarty and company are next!
i bet he doesnt see a day. hell make up some excuse like his big fat ass needs special medical attention they cant get in prison.
marty isnt far from the tree. i know of several south valley residents he paid 25 bucks to just so they would go vote (FOR HIM OF COURSE)
... Let's hope the corruption in Albuquerque's city government is looked at next!
Im a beat cop and dont even know who torraco is. Dont speak for me.
I'm an undercover cop ... sometimes we have do crimes and be criminal to catch the real criminals.
Still waiting to hear why anybody should vote for Torraco. All I read is that she's not Kari....is that really the best there is?
There is RANK at SO?? I thought it was just a bunch of suck asses..Wish SO would start a blog like this. Then the PD guys would know they aren't the only ones fed up with their "leadership" for lack of a better word.
To the beat cop who does not know who Torraco is, you need to find a knew job if you don't keep up with the DA's race! From a " real beat cop", and by the way, I know who both candidates running for DA are.
Comment to 10/18 10:12 AM, from 10/17 3:25 PM ... I've been a resident of this state since 1982 and was stationed her at Kirtland AFB and a Gulf War Vet. No offense to the Clean Hard working and honest politicians who serve this state and those who have served on both parties Dems and Repubs. If your guilty of wrong doing then the hammer should fall and fall hard and the courts should throw away the key because they have taken advantage of and violated the publics trust!!! It just seesm like most of the time it's always the Dems that get caught; I don't mean people who let their ASSES overload their fat LIPS. I mean breaking the law.
Mayor Marty Smart Ass is next to become someones Cell B---- just like Manny Aragon will be treated!!! I hope they treat them well in prison! lolol You do wrong and break the law; you become a someones pillow biter regardless of what party afilliation your from!!! Beware!
Let's hope Marty goes next.
How about Dantis/Bakkas? They too belong on the list of must go,corrupt individuals...
I have an idea: THROW THEM ALL OUT and start over with new, honest rules. Folks, the "Patron System" dates back to the Spanish conquest. Let's see if we can, for once, make New Mexico an honest state. Term limits for everyone. Judges included. 20 years in prison for any politician who steals as little as $10. Immediate forfeiture of all assets and property of any politician convicted of any theft, embezzlment, conversion, or fraud, including any property or assets converted into anyone else's name going back five years to prevent them from hiding their stolen property or money. Lifetime revocation of the right to register to vote or to vote in any election upon conviction, effective immediately. That would be a start. (Of course, with some of these scum, we might have to reinstate the death penalty to clean it up).
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