Albuquerque City Council candidate alleges bribery, extortion in ethics complaint

A candidate for Albuquerque City Council alleged that her opponent’s campaign manager, a longtime political consultant in New Mexico, tried to pay her to drop out of the race, according to documents submitted to the city’s Ethics Board.

“I think the idea of ‘politics as usual’ has been an excused behavior for this type of thing,” District 1 candidate Stephanie Telles said Wednesday. “It has become so normalized that it’s not even seen as unethical. It’s just become far too easy for people to sacrifice ethics when power is on the line.”

In a letter to the Ethics Board and City Clerk’s Office, Telles alleged that Scott Forrester, the campaign manager for Ahren Griego, another candidate, offered to “retire” her campaign debt if she withdrew an appeal for a recount of her signatures submitted to qualify for the ballot.

There are four candidates hoping to win the District 1 seat representing Albuquerque’s central West Side. Councilor Louie Sanchez is leaving the seat to run for mayor.

Telles, as it stands, is seven signatures short of the 500 minimum, according to the City Clerk’s Office, while her three competitors have all formally qualified. Telles disagreed with her disqualification, and asked for a recount, she said.

Forrester’s attorney, Antonio Maestas, said Wednesday that Forrester offered to help Telles fundraise and approached her as a friend, not on behalf of Griego’s campaign. The conversation, Maestas said, was “misunderstood.”

“Her allegations have no credibility,” Forrester said in a statement Wednesday. “Per the City Clerk’s office, she did not collect enough signatures to make the ballot and has significant campaign debt. Apparently, she’s going through some personal struggles right now and I can only wish her well.”

Forrester was the campaign manager for New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland. The two parted ways in mid-June without explanation.

Telles spent $7,024 on her campaign, which is about $1,000 more than she earned in contributions, according to her latest campaign disclosure statement.

The offer sprung from a dispute with the city over whether she had qualified to run for office, Telles said.

On July 10, Telles was disqualified, according to the city’s counts. Telles disagreed, and asked for a recount, she said.

After asking for the recount, Telles alleged in the complaint that Forrester called two members of her volunteer staff and herself with an offer to pay off her campaign debts in exchange for her withdrawing her appeal for a recount. The conversation allegedly happened the day after she was disqualified on July 11.

Forrester then told Telles, she alleged in the ethics complaint, that he had submitted an Inspection of Public Records Act request for her submitted signatures. Forrester allegedly told Telles that she had much fewer valid signatures than she thought and should drop her recount appeal with the city.

If she didn’t, he allegedly told her, Griego’s campaign would file a lawsuit to remove her from the ballot.

“This was stated in a way that I understood as an effort to pressure or intimidate me into withdrawing my legal challenge,” she wrote in the complaint.

Telles wrote that Forrester’s actions constituted bribery, conspiracy to commit election offense, fraud and extortion. Telles has not filed any legal suit against Forrester.

Telles officially filed her candidacy with the Bernalillo County clerk on Tuesday and will either be approved or denied on Aug. 29 when the county certifies the ballot.

Griego did not respond to a request for comment about the allegations against his campaign manager.

The city has scheduled a hearing with the Ethics Board for Sept. 10.