GOOD EVENING.
JUST TWO YEARS AFTER THE
STATE- RUN MARTIN LUTHER
KING JUNIOR
COMMISSION EMPLOYEES
WERE CONVICTED OF
EMBEZZLEMENT -- A FORMER
EMPLOYEE SAYS THEY ARE
STILL UP TO NO GOOD.
HERE'S NEWS 13'S JEANNIE
NGUYEN WITH THE
DETAILS... JEANNIE.
JACKIE -- THE FORMER
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR SAYS
THE COMMISSION IS STILL
MISUSING TAXPAYER
DOLLARS.
BUT SHE SAYS SHE HIT A
FEW ROAD BLOCKS IN HER
EFFORT TO EXPOSE
THEM.
Jacob Candelaria -
Attorney - 1:01:07
"There's some real red
flags here." 1:01:10 IT
STARTS WITH THE MARTIN
LUTHER KING JUNIOR
COMMISSION.
IT'S A STATE-RUN
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
THAT PROMISES TO BRING
SOCIAL CHANGE FOR NEW
MEXICANS.
BUT ATTORNEY JACOB
CANDELARIA SAYS THE
COMMISSION IS
HIDING SOMETHING.
Jacob Candelaria -
Attorney - 1:01:12 "The
commission has not
submitted its audits to
the state of New Mexico
in several years."
1:01:17
CANDELARIA IS THE
ATTORNEY FOR THE
ORGANIZATION'S FORMER
ASSOCIATE
DIRECTOR -- ERICA DAVIS
CRUMP.
HE SAYS SHE WAS
SUSPICIOUS OF THE
COMMISSION'S SPENDING
AND ALSO CLAIMS THE
CURRENT EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR -- LEONARD
WAITES -- MADE
INAPPROPRIATE AND SEXUAL
COMMENTS TO HER ON THE
JOB.
Jacob Candelaria -
Attorney - 1:00:48 "When
she blew the whistle on
his sexual harassment,
as well as her
concerns about what's
going on financially at
the commission, he
retaliated." 1:00:59
THAT'S WHEN SHE FILED A
PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST
FOR THE FINANCIAL
RECORDS... CLAIMING 50-
THOUSAND DOLLARS WENT
MISSING FROM
THE COMMISSION BUDGET.
BUT SHE WAS HIT WITH
THIS RESPONSE FROM
WAITES.
IT SAYS -- IN PART --
THAT THE RECORDS ARE NOT
REQUIRED TO BE REVEALED
BECAUSE IT'S A PRIVATE
PART OF THE COMMISSION.
Jacob Candelaria -
Attorney - 1:05:31 "I
think the real problem
is that no one knows."
1:05:34 BUT CANDELARIA
POINTED TO THE STATE'S
WEBSITE... SHOWING THAT
WAITES CREATED THE
FOUNDATION AS "THE
FUNDRAISING ARM OF THE
M-L-K
COMMISSION" -- WHICH IS
A PUBLIC ENTITY.
0:00 Judge: Are you
admitting your part in
that conspiracy?
Yazzie: Yes, your honor.
Judge: Okay. 0:04
THIS COMES JUST TWO
YEARS AFTER FORMER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
KIMBERLY GREEN ALONG
WITH FORMER EMPLOYEES,
CHERYL YAZZIE AND
CHARLES
COUNTEE, USED PHONY
STATE VOUCHERS TO STEAL
MONEY FROM THE
M-L-K COMMISSION.
LEAVING CANDELARIA TO
WONDER IF HISTORY IS
REPEATING
ITSELF.
Jacob Candelaria -
Attorney - 1:08:28 "What
foundation doesn't tell
people how its spending
its money?"
1:08:32
AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS
TO CONTACT WAITES -- WE
HAVE YET TO
GET A RESPONSE.
JACKIE -- BACK TO YOU.
OKAY... JEANNIE.
CANDELARIA SAYS WHEN HIS
CLIENT QUESTIONED THE
COMMISSION ABOUT THE
MISSING 50-THOUSAND
DOLLARS -- THEY TOLD HER
THEY WOULD NOT LOOK INTO
IT BECAUSE THEY TRUSTED
