Vigil-Giron Faces Arraignment on Friday

Update: Vigil-Giron waived her appearance at her arraignment on Friday. Her Attorney Robert Gorence entered a not guilty plea on her behalf and notified the court he was filing this motion to dismiss all charges against his client, because two state prosecutors are expected to be called as witness at a trial (as early as November).

Vigil-Giron has until September 11th to be booked at MDC and fingerprinted. She will remain free on her own recognizance.

Co-Defendent, Armando Gutierrez also remains free after pleading not guilty at his arraignment. He was allowed to return to Texas for Labor Day. He has until September 18th to turn himself in for booking and fingerprinting.

All the defendents were ordered not to have any contact with each other.

Former New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron will be arraigned in State District Court today.

She, and three others, were indicted on 50 felony counts on August 19th.

Vigil-Giron, along with former lobbyists Elizabeth (Daisey) Kupfer, her husband Joseph Kupfer, and political consultant Armando Guiterrez are accused of fraud, money laundering, kickbacks, creating false public vouchers and tampering with evidence.

Those charges stem from unaccounted money originally awarded to the Secretary of State by the Federal Help America Vote Act. Those funds were then suppose to be allocated to voter education programs and to ensure disabled people could vote in the 2004 and 2006 elections.

The 10am arraignment is set for State District Judge Rozz Sanchez' courtroom. Judge Neil Candelaria has been recused and attorney's are looking for a new judge.


Photo: MG Bralley

Vigil-Giron, 3 Others Indicted

Photo Credit: MG Bralley

Updated: 7:30pm [Link to state indictments]


Attorney General Gary King today confirmed the filing of grand jury indictments against former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil Giron and three others, alleging the misuse of public money allocated to voter education from Federal Help America Voter's Act or HAVA grants.

“My government accountability team has been working on this for about two years,” King said. “We have been trying to point out that there was a lot of evidence. We feel that it has been well researched. We feel like we can support the evidence in court.”

Trip Jennings at the New Mexico Independent reports Lobbyists Joseph Kupfer and Elizabeth Kupfer, along with Armando Gutierrez, the president of the company the state hired to implement the federal Help America Vote Act, all face 50 counts, including fraud, embezzlement, money laundering and soliciting or receiving public kickbacks.

Only thirty minutes before the announcement of the indictments we personally spoke with Vigil-Giron at her office. She told us that she could "relate to what former Assistant U.S. Attorney General David Iglesias had went through." Vigil-Giron said, "My own party [Gary King] is attempting to destroy my reputation."

Vigil-Giron knew she was a target of the investigation and testified in front of the Bernalillo Grand jury on Tuesday. On Friday, the State Supreme Court ruled that those jurors must see evidence that defense attorney's say will exonerate their clients.

Vigil-Giron's issued this statement Wednesday morning, after personally testifying before the grand jury the day before:

I pray every day that my Lord and my God will forgive those individuals who so willingly, callously and wrongfully accuse me of unsubstantiated wrongdoing for the purpose of furthering their own personal and political ambitions. This witch-hunt must cease and desist. It has been going on since I left office almost three years ago and no wrong doing on my part has been uncovered.

Earlier in the day Vigil-Giron said that she “can account for every last nickel that was spent” and said all contracts over $200,000 were reviewed by officials in the attorney general’s office. She said she “relied on the Attorney General to always counsel me in the right direction legally.”


Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T