Richardson under fire for Vigil-Giron appointment

Posted 2/08/2007 10:45:00 AM

When former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron disregarded a practice of her office last year that required signed, notarized letters from candidates wanting to withdraw from races, several politicos predicted in conversations with me that she would get a nice job this year in the administration of Gov. Bill Richardson.

She did, we learned on Wednesday. I’ll let you decide what that means.

Here’s the quick back story. Former state auditor candidate Jeff Armijo was plagued during his campaign by allegations of making inappropriate sexual advances – allegations that were being reviewed by Bernalillo County’s district attorney that have strangely vanished since Armijo was taken off the ballot.

Under extreme pressure from Richardson, Armijo, a fellow Democrat, announced he would drop out of the race. He later reneged on that pledge. The secretary of state’s office at first told me and other media outlets that was fine, because he had never submitted the signed, notarized resignation letter that was required for a formal withdrawal.

Richardson’s administration pushed, sending Armijo’s press statement to Vigil-Giron and arguing that it constituted a formal withdrawal. When the attorney general didn’t object, Vigil-Giron sided with Richardson, and that was the end of it.

Vigil-Giron was prevented by term limits from running again, and left office at the end of December.

Vigil-Giron has now been appointed to head the New Mexico Film Museum, according to the Associated Press. It’s actually not much of a museum. It’s an office that exists to promote filmmaking in New Mexico.

Vigil-Giron will replace India Hatch, who is being moved to the Department of Tourism.

Richardson is already taking heat for the move. Sen. Shannon Robinson, D-Albuquerque, had been the sponsor of Senate Bill 525, a bill sought by Richardson that would create a state Media Arts and Entertainment Department and consolidate the various film, media arts and music divisions in one place. It would have included the film museum.

He withdrew his sponsorship upon learning of Vigil-Giron’s appointment Wednesday, leaving the bill an orphan with an uncertain future. Robinson told the news service that there is “no rhyme or reason” to Vigil-Giron’s appointment, saying she has “no concept of the film industry, no links to it.”

Robinson also said professionals in the film industry reacted to her appointment with “angst and disappointment.”

The Albuquerque Tribune’s Kate Nash is reporting that, on the Senate floor Wednesday, Robinson called Vigil-Giron “a bowl weevil looking for a home.”

I’ve been unable to reach the governor’s office or Vigil-Giron for comment.