Ethics Complaint Filed in Albuquerque Mayoral Race Over Exploitation of Homeless Voters
A formal ethics complaint has been filed with the City of Albuquerque Ethics Board alleging a deliberate attempt to influence voters during the recent mayoral runoff election by exploiting the city’s homeless population. The complaint centers around the distribution of campaign-branded apparel to individuals experiencing homelessness.
The complaint, filed by attorney adn former state Representative Daymon Ely on behalf of Mayor Tim Keller’s reelection campaign, alleges a “cruel and illegal” political maneuver designed to deceive voters in the final days of the election.According to the filing, dozens of yellow sweatshirts emblazoned with “I [CORAZÓN] Tim Keller” appeared among the homeless community as early voting commenced.
Keller’s campaign maintains it had no involvement in the distribution of the sweatshirts and was the first to publicly denounce the tactic when it came to light. A spokesperson for the campaign stated, “This scheme appears to be unreported illicit spending designed to deceive voters, and those who carried it out must be held accountable.” They further emphasized that opponent Darren White and his supporters have not condemned the act, rather attempting to falsely implicate Mayor Keller.
The complaint specifically names a political agent, the president of the Río Grande Foundation, and Paul Gessing as individuals with knowledge of the operation. Gessing reportedly admitted on television to knowing who purchased and distributed the sweatshirts. According to the campaign, Gessing stated that the individuals responsible “were not Keller supporters” and that the activity was intentionally timed to coincide with early voting.
“He knows who bought and distributed the sweatshirts,” a campaign official relayed, emphasizing the level of detail known by those connected to the effort. The timing of the distribution, deliberately scheduled to influence voters at the polls, raises serious questions about the intent behind the scheme.
“he knows who bought and distributed the sweatshirts,” a campaign official relayed, emphasizing the level of detail known by those connected to the effort. the timing of the distribution, deliberately scheduled to influence voters at the polls, raises serious questions about the intent behind the scheme.
the filing with the Ethics Board seeks an immediate examination into the matter,aiming to uncover the source of the funding and the individuals responsible for orchestrating the distribution. the Keller campaign believes the complaint will ensure the incident is no longer “in the shadows” and that those involved are held accountable for their actions.
The outcome of the investigation could have meaningful implications for future elections in Albuquerque,potentially setting a precedent for addressing unethical campaign tactics.
Why, Who, What, and How did it end?
What: The Albuquerque mayoral runoff election was marred by allegations of unethical campaign tactics involving the distribution of campaign-branded sweatshirts to members of the city’s homeless population. Dozens of yellow sweatshirts emblazoned with “I [CORAZÓN] Tim Keller” appeared during early voting.
Who: The complaint was filed by attorney Daymon Ely on behalf of Mayor Tim Keller’s reelection campaign against his opponent, Darren White. Individuals named in the complaint include the president of the Río Grande Foundation and Paul Gessing, who reportedly admitted knowledge of the sweatshirt distribution.
Why: The keller campaign alleges the distribution was a deliberate attempt to illegally influence voters by exploiting a vulnerable population. They claim it was unreported illicit spending designed to deceive voters. white’s campaign has not condemned the act and, according to Keller’