The Governor’s Unconstitutional Spending of Public Funds

Since 2003, Governor Bill Richardson has been spending tens of millions of dollars of public funds without Legislative authorization. These funds have been received into the state treasury under Federal economic relief and stimulus bills. Richardson has unilaterally been deciding how these funds should be spend, in violation of the state constitution which rests the power to appropriate public money solely with the Legislature. Rio Grande Foundation investigative journalist Jim Scarantino looks into these expenditures and compares reality with constitutional prescription.

Full text of Scarantino’s report can be found here.