Jerome Block Jr. resigns
from PRC in plea deal By The New Mexican
The short, troubled political career of
Jerome Block Jr. ended Wednesday as he pleaded guilty to multiple felonies and
agreed to resign from the state Public Regulation Commission and never again
seek elected office.
COMMENT: BUT HIS CAREER AS THE SUBJECT OF
FRONT PAGE STORIES IN SANTA FE IS APPARENTLY ENDLESS.
The
34-year-old La Puebla resident was expressionless through a court hearing in
Santa Fe. Other than answering brief questions from District Judge Michael
Vigil, he made no statement or apology after admitting to fraudulent use of a
state-issued gasoline card, embezzlement, identity theft and other charges.
COMMENT: ALLOWING THE WRITER, LATER, TO BRING
UP THAT CHARGING CHIMICHANGAS STUFF.
Block
has admitted he has a problem with addiction to prescription drugs. He also is pleading guilty to three felony
charges for violating campaign-finance laws and embezzling public funds during
his 2008 campaign. He will appear in court later on that part of the plea
arrangement because indictments against Block in the election-laws case
currently are on appeal. The plea deal ends that appeal, and the case will be
sent back to the District Court.
COMMENT: IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WILL CONTINUE
TO THROW THE BOOK AT HIM BECAUSE HE CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
The Democrat, who initially rejected
bipartisan calls for him to step down, recently has been the subject of an
impeachment investigation by the New Mexico Legislature, which set aside $1
million for potential costs of removing him from office.
COMMENT:
TOUGH TO KEEP COMMISSIONERS: He
will be the second member of the commission to resign in a little more than a
year because of a felony conviction. Commissioner Carol Sloan of Gallup stepped
down in April 2010 after a conviction for battery.
COMMENT: OOPS, A NEW CHARGE:
He pleaded no contest to a charge of
embezzlement for taking a car from a Santa Fe auto dealer for a test-drive in
July and never returning it.
Block's father, Jerome Block Sr., a former
member of the Public Regulation Commission, also was charged in the election
fraud case. However, prosecutors told the judge Wednesday that the charges
against the elder Block will be dropped because his son took responsibility for
falsifying a campaign-finance report.
COMMENT: THE BOY LOVES HIS FATHER.
Rocky campaign Block Jr. made his first
bid for public office with his 2008 campaign for the commission seat then held
by Ben Ray Luján, who didn't seek re-election in order to make his successful
run for Congress.
Block Jr., who at the time was working
as a title-insurance sales manager, surprised many when he squeaked out a 23
percent plurality in a crowded Democratic Party primary race for the commission
in District 3, which includes Santa Fe and much of north-central and
northeastern New Mexico. Some speculated that name recognition — thanks to his
father's years on the Public Regulation Commission, state Corporation
Commission and Santa Fe County Commission — pulled the junior Block through.
His detractors noted that Block's campaign
signs didn't include "Jr." after his name.
COMMENT: PRETTY PETTY
He also never mentioned in pre-primary
interviews a later arrest and conviction for riding with a drunken driver.
Block also gave misleading information in pre-primary interviews about his
educational background.
Block had said he attended classes at New
Mexico State University but never graduated. But, he said, he went on to earn
"the equivalent of an associate's degree" from "the Anderson
School of Management at The University of New Mexico." It turned out he
had the name of the school wrong, and that the Western States School of
Banking, which once was associated with The Robert O. Anderson School of
Management, doesn't offer academic credit or any "degree."
COMMENT: ANOTHER OOOPS.
While these revelations raised eyebrows and
caused some area Democrats to jump ship on his candidacy and instead support
Green Party challenger Rick Lass, the real damage occurred later in the
campaign. Block, who received public funds for his campaign, reported that he'd
spent $2,500 for a band called Wyld Country to play at a San Miguel County
rally in May.
COMMENT:
WE HOPE IT WAS A GOOD BAND.
However, members of that band told reporters
that they never played at any Block rally and never were paid. Block had given
the money to the band leader, Paul Maez, who happened to be San Miguel County's
clerk, responsible for running elections in that county.
COMMENT: SHOULD WE BELIEVE BAND MEMBERS?
After initially insisting to reporters
there actually had been a rally with Maez's band, Block later acknowledged he
had lied.
COMMENT:
ANOTHER OOOPS.
Block
had to pay a total of $21,700 in fines and reimbursements. And Attorney General
Gary King began an investigation that eventually led to indictments.
Troubles
compounded By
the end of August this year, Block Jr. was in even more trouble.
Records showed that he made numerous
transactions on state accounts, sometimes only minutes apart, at gasoline
stations and convenience stores. Expenses totaled about $7,000 for the first
six months of the year, according to Public Regulation Commission records.
Some of his fuel purchases exceeded the tank
capacity of his state vehicle, according to an affidavit for a search warrant
by an investigator for the attorney general. And, the document said, he charged
nonfuel items like chimichangas, cigarettes and Gatorade on the state card.
COMMENT: ALL
RIGHT, WE WORKED IN THE GREAT CHIMICHANGAS FRAUD.
If
Block Jr. successfully completes a drug court program providing treatment,
random drug testing and supervision, and complies with other terms of his plea
agreement, he's eligible for a "conditional dismissal" of his
charges.
COMMENT: AND AN END TO REHASHING HIS STORY IN
LOCAL PRINT MEDIA.
No comments:
Post a Comment