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Monday, September 21, 2009
PRC Offers Job to Block Campaigner
By Dan Boyd
Journal Capitol Bureau
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has offered a division director job with an annual salary of nearly $80,000 to an in-house employee who was paid last year for campaign efforts on behalf of current District 3 PRC Commissioner Jerome Block Jr.
The pending promotion of Larry L. Lujan to transportation division director was called into question Friday by at least one member of the PRC, which approved the recommended hire earlier last week.
"Mr. Lujan is an extremely knowledgeable individual with respect to the area of transportation," said Commissioner Jason Marks of Albuquerque. "However, coming at a time when the public has a lot of questions about our agency, I think it sends the wrong message."
Campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State's Office show Block paid Lujan at least $2,000 last year for campaign coordination. Lujan has previously said he campaigned for Block solely on weekends and on his own personal time.
Lujan and Block also exchanged more than 300 phone calls on Lujan's state cell phone during a 10-month period after Block launched his campaign.
PRC officials investigated the calls after they were reported by the Journal and determined Lujan inappropriately used his phone, though the agency didn't disclose whether Lujan was disciplined.
PRC Chief of Staff Danny Mayfield, who made the recommendation to hire Lujan over a pool of about 10 other applicants for the position of transportation division director, touted Lujan's experience when asked about his decision.
"I can't make the recommendation based on any political affiliation," Mayfield said. "Mr. Lujan has 16 years of knowledge within the division and I chose to offer (the position) to someone in-house."
The PRC's transportation division regulates taxis, ambulances and buses, as well as licensing and inspecting gas pipelines. The division employs about 27 full-time workers.
The actions of several commissioners have come under scrutiny in recent months. Commissioner Carol Sloan faces charges of allegedly attacking another woman with a rock while Commissioner Sandy Jones hired a twice-convicted felon to be his executive assistant.
Block, who was elected to the PRC in November, was indicted in April on multiple felony charges stemming from alleged campaign finance violations, including embezzlement and tampering with evidence.
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