Letter to FBI on Susana PAC's Involvement in Downs Deal

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  • 8/2/2019 Letter to FBI on Susana PAC's Involvement in Downs Deal

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    Independent Source PAC - Phone (505) 250-0244 - 11024 Montgomery Blvd. NE # 128 - Albuquerque, NM 87111

    Independent Source PAC Protecting working families by investigating and exposing the actions, agendas, and hypocrisy of the political Right.

    3/7/2012Ms. Carol K.O. Lee

    Special Agent in ChargeFederal Bureau of Investigation4200 Lueking Park Ave NEAlbuquerque, NM 87107

    By Fax: (505) 889-1770

    RE: Additional Information on the Manipulation of the Billion-Dollar Racino Contract

    Dear Ms. Lee:

    We have developed some additional information beyond which was previously forwarded to your office thatraises further questions about the propriety of the awarding of the billion-dollar plus Racino contract.

    Andrea Goff, Susana PACs (Governor Martinezs political committee run by Jay McCleskey) main fundraiser,turns out to be the daughter-in-law and business partner of State Fair Commissioner Kenneth Buster Goff.Andrea Goff was raising money for Susana PAC months before Martinez appointed Buster Goff to the StateFair Commission. It appears this relationship between fundraiser Andrea Goff and Governor Martinez factoredinto Buster Goffs appointment to the commission.

    As you may recall, Buster Goff was provided the unique ability to alter the terms of the lease allowing him tosupport the contract after having publicly opposed the contract. It was Buster Goff who cast the tie-breakingvote that awarded the contract to the Downs at Albuquerque.

    According to Susana PACs Report of Expenditures and Contributions through September 2011 MartinezsPAC paid Andrea Goff $29,132.47 from April 2011 to September 2011.

    5/5/11 $ 6,033.966/2/11 $ 7,002.477/7/11 $ 5,410.528/2/11 $ 7,304.509/6/11 $ 3,381.02

    As near as can be seen, it does not appear that a formal public disclosure of this familial relationship wasmade. It is not known if this familial relationship was disclosed to Laguna Development Corp.

    As a fundraiser, Andrea Goff most likely was paid a percentage based upon the amount of money she raised.Her family income could drop substantively if she lost her work for Susana PAC. As Tom Tinnin and CharlotteRode can attest, when it came to pushing through the Downs contract, Governor Martinez did not hesitate topunish those who wouldnt do her bidding.

    Then there are the contributions to Susana PAC by the Downs at Albuquerque majority owners WilliamWindham and John Turner. The timing of these contributions raises is suspect.

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    Independent Source PAC - Phone (505) 250-0244 - 11024 Montgomery Blvd. NE # 128 - Albuquerque, NM 87111

    According to the Downs at Albuquerques written response to the RFP, William Windham and John Turnerare currently members and the co-Managers of SunRay Gaming of New Mexico, LLC which owns andoperates SunRay Park and Casino located in Farmington, New Mexico.

    On 7/7/11, SunRay Gaming of New Mexico gave Susana PAC $5,000. Interesting timing considering that theRFP was issued on 7/24/11- about two weeks later. (Note that documents received by ISPAC as part of anIPRA request did not contain any campaign contribution disclosure information pertaining to this contribution.Such an omission would violate state law and be grounds for terminating the contract).

    On 5/6/11, Windham and Turner, through Brazos Land & Cattle gave another $5,000 to Susana PAC. That

    contribution had interesting timing too. Just a few weeks after receiving that contribution, Martinez announcedthat she put giving the Downs a one-year extension on its lease with the State Fair onto the call for the speciallegislative session.

    Then there is Jay McCleskeys relationship with Charles Chuck Gara. As ISPAC previously reported, Gara,the evaluator appointed by Martinez who managed to give the Downs at Albuquerque a perfect score inmanagerial expertise despite the well- documented history of problems, had hired McCleskey to run his pro-business political action committee. At around the time that McCleskey worked with Gara, Gara was accusedby members of the Albuquerque City Council of joining the Planned Growth Strategy Task Force for thepurpose of rigging its outcome.

    The Martinez Administration claims to have no documents or written communications relating to how Martinez

    selected Gara. One possible explanation for the absence of any such paperwork is that the communication thatook place occurred between Gara and Susana PAC.

    Then there is Agnes Maldonado, who was paid $3000 by Susana PAC on 5/26/11 for professional serviceswho testified to the State Fair Commissioners on July 29, 2011 that she had been reviewing the financials ofthe State Fair since May 2011. Did Maldonado get paid by Susana PAC for that work? Did the information shedeveloped find its way over to the Downs thanks to Susana PAC?

    Maldonado was then appointed to the position of Director of Administration for ExpoNM.

    All of this points to a role by Susana PAC in this government contracting process.

    Sincerely,

    Michael CorwinExecutive Director

    Cc: New Mexico Attorney General Gary King