Police Officers get “Corn Holed” again

Oddly enough, Gov. Martinez re-appointed Nate Korn (AKA: Nathan Kornfield) of Kaufman's West Uniforms to the LEA Board (Law Enforcement Administration Board).  In an article from the Santa-Fe New Mexican (READ IT HERE), Phil Sisneros, the spokesmen for the Attorney General stated, there doesn't appear to be a conflict of interest.

It appears Phil has been smoking something strange or he was given bad information by the AG's Office.  In a story here on the Eye On Albuquerque (READ SIDEBAR), it was proven what Nate Korn was actually doing and why.  This all appears to be part if a "pay-to-play" scenario.

 SIDEBAR

Something "Korny" Going On

"Nothing can destroy a government more quickly than its failure to observe its own laws, or worse, its disregard of the charter of its own existence."

--U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clark (1961) 

The city of Albuquerque has many ordinances that mirror state laws but are refined to the particular, and allowable, form of municipal government that we all know as Albuquerque. To be sure the city is not a true sovereign entity; it owes its creation to state statute. Its capacity to exist and govern itself is contingent upon being faithful to its own laws and not deceiving the very citizens it hold jurisdiction over. As Justice Clark remarked, a government that fails to hold itself accountable and simply disregards its own laws voids its very existence.

At the forefront of Albuquerque's code of ordinances is the "Conflict of Interest" ordinance §3-3-1. The main point being that "An employee shall disqualify himself or herself from participating in any official act directly affecting a business in which he or she has a financial interest." Since Albuquerque officials are entrusted with authority and money from the citizens they serve there is no greater breach of duty than to act in a manner where a city official puts their interest before the citizens...and from this ordinance there are endless other that effectuate a code of conduct that, if followed is beyond reproach:

§ 3-3-6 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

§ 3-3-5 CONFLICT OF INTEREST; EMPLOYEES.

§ 3-3-7 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST; FORMER EMPLOYEES.

§ 5-5-22 ETHICAL CONDUCT

§ 5-5-27 PURCHASES BY QUOTATION

§ 5-5-28 COMPETITIVE SEALED BIDS

§ 12-3-4 EMBEZZLEMENT

§ 3-3-4 GIFTS AND DONATIONS PROHIBITED 

Recently, our Eyes alerted us to a corporation known as “Friends of SWAT.” What caught our eye concerning this is not only does Friends of SWAT involve many current APD officers, but retired officers as well: APD Sgt. Jason Peck, Officer Armando Limon, Retired Commander Dan Cafferkey, Officer Ron Tosta, and citizen at large Nate Korn (or is that Nathan Kornfield?). Our Eyes wanted to know what a dominant city vendor would be doing as co-director within a corporation staffed with current and former city employees. We think it is hardly appropriate for a vendor known for selling police gear and equipment to the very employer of his co-directors!

Given Mr. Korn’s grandstanding about ethics and integrity while he sits on the state’s LEA board, we found this beyond disturbing. Through his business Kaufman’s West, Mr. Korn contracts with the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in police and police related equipment to APD each year. Given that each vendor is supposed to disclose any conflicts they may have when responding to the city’s RFP’s we wonder if competing vendors knew of Mr. Korn’s legal business relationship with these APD employees. What influence did they have in crafting RFP’s in a favorable way so that Mr. Korn edged out competition? What inducements has Mr. Korn given these or other APD employees? Can Mr. Korn and these officers honestly say their activity is consistent with these city ordinances and the many parallel state statutes?

In reviewing the details of the above city ordinances, it seems Mr. Korn and all of the directors are in clear violation of these laws. Sadly, it gets worse. According to the state Public Regulation Commission, Friends of SWAT has been operating out of the Valley Area Command since 2007 as its corporation and mailing address is 5408 2^nd Street NW (Link: HERE). How is this possible that a private business has been operating out of a secure government police facility? Who has been in charge of the Valley Area Command to allow this to go on? How much on duty time have these individuals spent in furtherance of their corporate interests while at work? What material benefit have they derived from their relationship with an equipment vendor known widely for his “donations?” 

While we thank our Eyes for forwarding this information, not only are we shocked and outraged, but we are dismayed. Given Mr. Korn’s personal relationship with APD’s Chief Schultz we think it is very unlikely Chief Schultz has no knowledge about this. On behalf of all the concerned citizens of Albuquerque and all of the hard working rank and file officers who operate by the very rules they enforce, we demand that the State Attorney General and/or the State Auditor commence an immediate investigation and prosecution of all and any persons found in violation of the law.

 

END SIDEBAR

 Between drumming up his own business by being closely connected to the law enforcement community across the state and being part of a "unique group" who raises money for the sole purpose of buying police equipment; folks, the fix is in! Guess what Nathan Kornfield sells?  That is right; police equipment! We won't even talk about the donations to Martinez' campaign by Korn. Ironically, the Governor who is suppose to also be an attorney has failed to do her homework and by proxy she has failed everyone in this state.

Based on the appearance of impropriety, let alone the actual impropriety, Korn should has never been appointed or re-appointed to the LEA Board.   The police officers will pay for it on both ends. Remember Korn and Schultz are buddies...

Why is the media so afraid to call things like it is?