Updated: 4:45pmNew Mexico-based Justice League, a political action committee, is calling for the immediate resignation of Secretary of State Dianna Duran for racist jokes aimed at two African American legislators they say they found posted in an online spreadsheet included in a package sent to them from Duran's state office.
The package was suppose to helped registered PACS comply with state rules ahead of next month's deadline for bi-annual bi-annual campaign reports.
According to the PAC's Treasurer Eli Il Yong Lee, the documents contained instructions to download an Excel spreadsheet from the Secretary of State’s website.
Comments left in the Monetary Contributions worksheet clearly targeted African American state legislators Sheryl Williams Stapleton and Jane Powdrell-Culbert. They are listed as manager of a faux PAC named: National Organization of the Beer Drinkers and Guzzlers.
The faux PAC's listing reports it's being managed by the first name of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederated States of America. The SOS's sample report also combines the lawmakers last names for the report Sheryl Powdrell-Culbertson. Their faux PAC's address was listed as 246678 North General Dwight D. Eisenhower Boulevard Northeast.
The package was suppose to helped registered PACS comply with state rules ahead of next month's deadline for bi-annual bi-annual campaign reports.
According to the PAC's Treasurer Eli Il Yong Lee, the documents contained instructions to download an Excel spreadsheet from the Secretary of State’s website.
Comments left in the Monetary Contributions worksheet clearly targeted African American state legislators Sheryl Williams Stapleton and Jane Powdrell-Culbert. They are listed as manager of a faux PAC named: National Organization of the Beer Drinkers and Guzzlers.
The faux PAC's listing reports it's being managed by the first name of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederated States of America. The SOS's sample report also combines the lawmakers last names for the report Sheryl Powdrell-Culbertson. Their faux PAC's address was listed as 246678 North General Dwight D. Eisenhower Boulevard Northeast.
We have posted the Excel spreadsheet supplied to our blog from the Justice League. Duran's staff removed the original spreadsheet after it the racist listing was discovered.
“I was shocked when I downloaded Secretary Duran’s spreadsheet this morning to find such racist comments on a State document. Secretary Duran should be ashamed of herself," Il Yong Lee wrote in a "breaking news" release this morning. "We expect more from elected officials. There is no place for racism in New Mexico, much less in a state office. She should resign immediately.”
Officials at Duran's office were not immediately available for comment. And did not return two telephone calls seeking a response. An email inquiry at the governor's office was also not replied to as of Thursday afternoon.
Earlier this month, the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a request to inspect public documents at Duran's office after her office announced it had uncovered possible instances of voter fraud by foreign nationals.
The resignation demand also follows an announcement by Attorney General Gary King that Duran's decision allowing Gov. Susana Martinez to use campaign funds to pay for political ads to bolster the public's support of one of her key legislative issues in 2011 (revoking the issuance of driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants) was unlawful.
Officials at Duran's office were not immediately available for comment. And did not return two telephone calls seeking a response. An email inquiry at the governor's office was also not replied to as of Thursday afternoon.
Earlier this month, the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a request to inspect public documents at Duran's office after her office announced it had uncovered possible instances of voter fraud by foreign nationals.
The resignation demand also follows an announcement by Attorney General Gary King that Duran's decision allowing Gov. Susana Martinez to use campaign funds to pay for political ads to bolster the public's support of one of her key legislative issues in 2011 (revoking the issuance of driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants) was unlawful.
Duran was elected in November after ousting incumbent Secretary of State Mary Herrera, and was the first Republican elected to the post in 80 years.
Update:
By late Thursday afternoon, Duran said she had place one staffer on leave, called both state representatives, and said she was deeply offended by the comments in the spreadsheet.
To read more about the Secretary of State's internal investigation click here to advance one blog post.
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