NM Pop Politics

A couple weeks ago, SFR reported about some aberrations in PRC candidate Jerome Block’s campaign finance reports, including a $300 payment to San Miguel County clerk Paul Maez for “campaign coordination” and another $2,500 to Maez’ country band Wyld Country. San Miguel was the only county Block won first place in the Democratic Primary.

Block’s campaign claimed the payments were all legit, telling the ABQ Journal that Maez’ involvement was strictly out-of-county and that the band performed at a ranch party on May 3.

The Las Vegas Optic reports today: The band member who handles the group’s bookings says the band never performed and received no money from Block. From the Optic:

[Joe “Jojo” Aragon] suggested that fellow band member Paul Maez, the San Miguel County clerk, may have made a verbal arrangement with Block, but Maez never told other band members about it.
Aragon said he takes care of bookings and that he would know if the band performed for Block.

“There was no performance,” he said.

Furthermore, the owner of the ranch where the band was supposed to have played could not confirm whether the event actually happened, since he was out of town. The only evidence: full garbage cans. The Optic reports that the Block campaign has been unable to provide any witness who can vouch for Block’s campaigns:

In response to Aragon’s statements, campaign manager Jonathan Valdez wrote in an e-mail, “For the last time, yes we did have a rally, and yes the band did perform. We will contact Paul to find out who Mr. Aragon is and why he would give you that information.”
In a later e-mail, Valdez said, “I am not saying that Mr. Aragon is lying. I understand Wyld Country is reorganizing, and it is quite possible the band played without him.”

l don’t about you, but it seems to me that it’s time for Block to produce some check stubs to show who exactly received the $2,500 and for someone to find out who rents PO Box 932 in Las Vegas, NM, where the check was sent.