New Mexico PAC Calls for Immediate Resignation of Secretary of State Dianna Duran

For Immediate Release                               

March 31, 2011                                              

New Mexico PAC Calls for Immediate Resignation of Secretary of State Dianna Duran

Duran issues political reporting form with racist jokes targeting African American Legislators 

Albuquerque – Today, the New Mexico-based Justice League PAC called for the immediate resignation of Secretary of State Dianna Duran for racist jokes aimed at two African American legislators in her political reporting form required of all New Mexico political committees.

Yesterday, the Justice League PAC received a packet in the mail from Duran’s office with instructions for filing the bi-annual campaign report for state political committees, due April 11, 2011. The packet contained instructions to download an Excel spreadsheet from the Secretary of State’s website (http://www.sos.state.nm.us/sos-pacs.html then click “2011 PAC Filing Form for April 11, 2011 Report”). The Excel spreadsheet, attached, contains the following racist language in the “Monetary Contrubutions” (sic.) tab, targeting African American state legislators Sheryl Williams Stapleton and Jane Powdrell-Culbert:

ORGANIZATION NAME	LAST NAME	FIRST NAME	ADDRESS
National Organization of the Beer Drinkers and Guzzlers	Sheryl Powdrell-Culbertson	JeffersonDavis	246678 North General Dwight D. Eisenhower Boulevard Northeast

“Sheryl Powdrell-Culbertson” is a merger of the names of the aforementioned African American legislators and “JeffersonDavis” was the President of the Confederate States of America.

Justice League PAC Treasurer Eli Il Yong Lee stated, “I was shocked when I downloaded Secretary Duran’s spreadsheet this morning to find such racist comments on a State document. Secretary Duran should be ashamed of herself.  We expect more from elected officials. There is no place for racism in New Mexico, much less in a state office. She should resign immediately.”

The Justice League PAC is a statewide political committee and was formed by Neri Holguin, Sandra Wechsler, Eli Il Yong Lee, Keegan King and Antionette Tellez-Humble, who have years of experience in New Mexico politics and issues. For more information, please go to www.justiceleaguepac.com.