Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Just When We Thought NM Scandal Season Was Fading ...

Saul Meyer pleaded guilty to corruption charges in New York today. And according to New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, his pleas also covers, "fraud in investment transactions relating to public pension funds in New Mexico."

Here's from an Associated Press account:

In a statement, the attorney general's office said Meyer had admitted that on "numerous occasions" while Aldus was acting as an adviser to the New Mexico State Investment Council and the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board, he had steered investment contracts to certain people.

"Aldus recommended proposed investments that were pushed on him by politically connected individuals in New Mexico, knowing that these politically connected individuals or their associates stood to benefit financially or politically from the investments and that the investments were not necessarily in the best economic interest of New Mexico," the statement said
.


Cuomo declined to say who those politically connected people are, so we can't say for sure that one was Marc Correra, who shared in millions of dollars in finders fees from New Mexico investments. Correra's father Anthony Correra is a longtime friends and fund-raiser for Gov. Bill Richardson. Correra's lawyer Sam Bregman has said his client worked hard for his millions and did nothing illegal.

The SIC and EIB fired Aldus after Meyer was indicted in New York state.

Update: Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos released this statement:

“The Governor’s Office is not aware of any activity outlined by the Attorney General of New York. As we have previously explained, Governor Richardson never spoke with Marc Correra about any state investments, and the Governor never had any personal contact with Saul Meyer.”


Marc Correra is the man in the middle.