AG: Youngblood abused position in DWI stop
Finding could lead to additional charges against ABQ legislator
SANTA FE — Embattled state Rep. Monica Youngblood could face more legal troubles, as Attorney General Hector Balderas’ office has found she used her elected position to try to influence police officers during her DWI arrest earlier this year.
Youngbood, a three-term Republican legislator from Albuquerque who is seeking re-election in November, was convicted Tuesday of aggravated drunken driving.
In a letter sent a day after that conviction, Assistant Attorney General Dylan Lange told Youngblood the AG’s Office has been closely monitoring her case and believes she violated the state’s Governmental Conduct Act.
That finding could lead to additional charges being filed against Youngblood, though no such charges had been filed as of Thursday.
The AG’s Office also said it had submitted a formal ethics complaint with the Legislature’s administrative arm, which could trigger an internal review by a legislative ethics committee.
After being stopped at a sobriety checkpoint in May, Youngblood told Albuquerque Police Department officers she has introduced bills to protect them at the Roundhouse and stood up for them in response to discrimination claims.
“I literally fight for you guys,” Youngblood told one officer, according to lapel footage released after her arrest.
The AG’s Office described Youngblood’s statements as “excessive derogatory language” and said the comments captured on lapel cam video show a “clear intent” on Youngblood’s part to use her position to improperly influence officers.
It also said Youngblood had violated two provisions in the Governmental Conduct Act. One of the provisions bars New Mexico elected officials from using their office to obtain personal benefits or enrichment, while the other requires that legislators conduct themselves in a manner that justifies public confidence.
Anyone convicted of breaking the Governmental Conduct Act is guilty of a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine and up to a year in prison.
The state Democratic Party had called on Balderas, a Democrat who is also running for re-election, to investigate Youngblood’s actions shortly after she was arrested.
“We have informed Rep. Youngblood of our finding, in a letter that was also sent to the Legislative Council Service, and are properly awaiting independent review,” AG’s Office spokesman David Carl said Thursday. “We maintain communication with Rep. Youngblood’s attorney and can’t comment beyond that initial finding.”
Meanwhile, Paul Kennedy, Youngblood’s attorney, was tightlipped Thursday about the letter sent by the Attorney General’s Office but said he wasn’t surprised by the ethics complaint being filed.
Youngblood, 42, is scheduled to be sentenced next week after her conviction on the drunken driving charge. First-time aggravated DWI offenders face up to 90 days in jail, along with possible fines and other penalties.