Leftover funds from campaigns keep on working
Even the dead, with still active accounts, can help other candidates
SANTA FE — Former New Mexico elected officials can keep doling out money from their campaign accounts long after they leave office.
Campaign reports filed this week with the Secretary of State’s office show that’s happening during this year’s election cycle, with both Republican and Democratic candidates benefitting from former elected officials’ generosity.
For instance, former Land Commissioner Ray Powell, an Albuquerque Democrat who lost in his 2014 re-election bid, reported making
$10,400 in contributions to Democratic candidates in the last month, including a $5,000 donation to land commissioner candidate Stephanie Garcia Richard of White Rock.
Powell, who also served as land commissioner from 1993 through 2002, had planned to run again for the statewide office this year, but bowed out of the race in November 2017 due to health issues. He has endorsed Garcia Richard in a three-way Democratic primary race for the post.
“That was a hard process, because I didn’t know what to do with the money,” Powell said in a Thursday interview.
He said he considered returning some of the money to campaign donors, but ultimately decided to give it to Democratic candidates who he felt share similar values.
Per state law, former elected officials are not allowed to use campaign funds for personal use. Options for spending leftover campaign funds include giving the money to other candidates, returning it to individual contributors or donating it to charitable groups or the state’s general fund.
Another former elected official who reported giving significant contributions from his campaign account this week was ex-House Speaker Don Tripp, a Socorro Republican who did not run for re-election in 2016.
He reported giving $10,200 to GOP candidates — including $2,700 to Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce — over the past few months. Tripp still has nearly $35,000 in his campaign account.
Meanwhile, a political committee has even been formed to make campaign contributions in honor of a deceased state lawmaker.
The political committee named after Rep. Luciano “Lucky” Varela, a Santa Fe Democrat who died last year, reported spending nearly $4,000 during a recent six-month time period. Among expenditures was a $2,500 contribution to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jeff Apodaca.
The PAC is run by Jeff Varela, the late lawmaker’s son, and is funded by money from the deceased legislator’s campaign account.
Jeff Varela told the Journal earlier this year the political committee had been formed in honor and recognition of his father’s service, adding, “If anyone was a confidant of my father with regard to politics, it was me.”
A Secretary of State’s office spokesman said there are no state laws specifically dealing with campaign contributions from the accounts of deceased individuals.
“As long as the candidate or treasurer is still filing reports, the account is open,” spokesman Joey Keefe said. “So there is not a time limit as long as the account is still active and in good standing.”