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Manny Aragon, three others indicted in kickback scheme (Prominent NM Democrat Politicos)
Albuquerque KOB-TV Channel 4 ^ | March 29, 2007 | Todd Dukart

Posted on 03/29/2007 3:41:56 PM PDT by CedarDave

Four people were indicted Thursday in an alleged kickback scheme that’s at the core of the debate over the firing of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias.

Former state Senate President Pro Tem Manny Aragon, Toby Martinez, Raul Parra and Sandra Mata Martinez all face charges.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Albuquerque says Marc Schiff, Ken Schultz and Manuel Guara had already entered guilty pleas in the case.

Investigators say the kickbacks were related to the construction of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courthouse in Albuquerque.

Iglesias believes he was fired as the federal prosecutor for New Mexico for resisting pressure from Senator Pete Domenici and Representative Heather Wilson, both New Mexico Republicans, to rush indictments in an alleged Democratic kickback scheme before the November election.

Stay with Eyewitness News 4 and KOBTV.com for complete coverage of this developing story.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: 2004election; afewgoodmen; attorneygeneral; billrichardson; canthandlethetruth; coverup; cultureofcorruption; democratscandals; doublestandard; election2004; gonzales; iglesias; kingbill; mannyaragon; octobersurprise; pelosiissilent; ratcrime; richardson; usattorney
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To: StormEye

New Mexico was named as a geographical balance for "New England".


21 posted on 03/29/2007 4:20:14 PM PDT by alloysteel (If you cannot bring yourself to condemn someone, at least make the praise as faint as possible.)
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To: greyfoxx39

Listen to the KRQE discussion in post #20. There may be more indictments coming for the Federal courthouse construction.


22 posted on 03/29/2007 4:22:10 PM PDT by CedarDave
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To: Clintonfatigued; CedarDave; Kuksool; AuH2ORepublican; JohnnyZ

Reminds me of my State Senate where nearly 1/3rd of the rodent members of the past 2-3 years are either under indictment, currently on trial, or in prison. I'd think if you were a U.S. Attorney in NM, you'd literally be in hog heaven having to decide which corrupt rodent to go after, it's like a termite invasion. Iglesias is trying to cover his ass with regards to his incompetence.


23 posted on 03/29/2007 4:25:12 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Cheney X -- Destroying the Liberal Democrat Traitors By Any Means Necessary -- Ya Dig ? Sho 'Nuff.)
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To: yoe
New Mexico is mostly Hispanic and has been forever....a heaven for Gringos with money and artists.

Oh, I don't know about that--I'm not Hispanic, I don't have money, and I'm not an artist, but having spent a great deal of my youth there (Farmington HS, anyone?) I still regard it as a little slice of heaven.
24 posted on 03/29/2007 4:25:14 PM PDT by OCCASparky (Steely-Eyed Killer of the Deep)
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To: CedarDave

I just listened to the KRQE discussion...very interesting.


25 posted on 03/29/2007 4:26:30 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Waiting impatiently for a conservative party to rise from the ashes of the wimpy republican party.)
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To: OCCASparky

Farmington to New Hampshire? What a change.


26 posted on 03/29/2007 4:28:26 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Waiting impatiently for a conservative party to rise from the ashes of the wimpy republican party.)
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To: CedarDave

Best news here in New Mexico I've heard all day! It's about time Manny Aragon got knocked off his high horse and come back to reality...same with Iglesias...


27 posted on 03/29/2007 4:28:52 PM PDT by Santa Fe_Conservative
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To: CedarDave

RAT corruption in our state!?! Who would have thought?


28 posted on 03/29/2007 4:29:43 PM PDT by wjcsux (There is no end to the good, that do-gooders will do, with other people's money.)
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To: milwguy
Worth repeating:

He [Iglesias] knew about this for months and months before the election. He was hired to clean up the corruption in NM politics and he failed to do it in anywhere near a timelt matter. He could have indicted these folks a year ago. He deserved what he got.

29 posted on 03/29/2007 4:29:46 PM PDT by CedarDave
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative
Best news here in New Mexico I've heard all day! It's about time Manny Aragon got knocked off his high horse and come back to reality...same with Iglesias...

Watch for Iglesias to jump onto all the cable channels and claim credit for the investigation! And the DBM will eat it up!

30 posted on 03/29/2007 4:31:02 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Waiting impatiently for a conservative party to rise from the ashes of the wimpy republican party.)
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To: Jet Jaguar
New Fed Prosecutor of Attorney?

Hmmm!

31 posted on 03/29/2007 4:33:26 PM PDT by colonialhk (Power and Money,the new mantra of the left!)
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To: yoe

It was 42% Hispanic in the 2000 Census, although that will probably creep up a bit by 2010.


32 posted on 03/29/2007 4:37:25 PM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (http://auh2orepublican.blogspot.com/)
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To: CedarDave
Oh brother! I can remember growing up as a kid with my dad and grandfather being involved in politics. The one thing they both agreed on was that politics in NM has been corrupt since the beginning of time. From the way it looks, it's going to be corrupt to the end of time too.

Aragon is not really a surprise, but Schults too? All the folks who bought cars from his dealership should go back and read the fine print on their contract. LOL

33 posted on 03/29/2007 4:39:18 PM PDT by NRA2BFree (Duncan Hunter for President '08 - A genuine "Reagan Republican" for America!)
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To: CedarDave; All
The Albuquerque Journal online has a link to several sites that include the indictments and press releases at:

Punch Here

34 posted on 03/29/2007 4:40:07 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Waiting impatiently for a conservative party to rise from the ashes of the wimpy republican party.)
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To: greyfoxx39
Watch for Iglesias to jump onto all the cable channels and claim credit for the investigation! And the DBM will eat it up!

I'll bet you are right on the mark with that comment. He'll say something like that's what he was working on but it wasn't ready yet for taking to the grand jury. And to think there was talk that Iglesias was going to be a future Republican candidate. I bet he changes to a Democrat and goes to work on King Bill's campaign.

35 posted on 03/29/2007 4:43:34 PM PDT by CedarDave
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To: CedarDave
He doesn't need to change parties....the press will salivate to have a Republican with that high profile working for King Bill!
36 posted on 03/29/2007 4:45:46 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Waiting impatiently for a conservative party to rise from the ashes of the wimpy republican party.)
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To: CedarDave; Txsleuth; Bahbah; Mo1

Another piece of the puzzle...


37 posted on 03/29/2007 4:49:50 PM PDT by pinz-n-needlez (Dogwood Blossoms trickle down like Snow, bringing hope of Renewal, Redemption and Resurrection)
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To: StormEye

It's a wonderful place, and the name fits it. We lived there two years and loved almost every minute of it. I just wish the place wasn't so corrupt. Then again, I can't think of an uncorrupt place . . .


38 posted on 03/29/2007 4:53:55 PM PDT by petitfour
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To: CedarDave

New Mexico: New Jersey with dry weather and a crappy economy.


39 posted on 03/29/2007 4:56:01 PM PDT by Clemenza (NO to Rudy in 2008! New York's Values are NOT America's Values! RUN FRED RUN!)
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To: CedarDave

I agree that Iglesias will be all over the DBM about this, but I think that instead of trying to take credit for it, he'll try to cut the legs out from under it by saying he knew it was solely a political prosecution, that he saw no evidence of any wrongdoing by these saintly democrat public servants, and that his refusal to play along and try to imprison innocent men was the reason he was fired.


40 posted on 03/29/2007 4:58:00 PM PDT by CFC__VRWC (Go Gators! NCAA Football and Basketball Champions!)
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