Negligence by governor Lujan Grisham puts public safety at risk

Albuquerque, NM – Yesterday, the Albuquerque Journal published a review of Governor Lujan Grisham’s COVID order to release inmates from prison early. The article notes this program has been going on since April 2020, and Governor Lujan Grisham ended the program just this week after Ronchetti started attacking her for it on the TV airwaves.

In recent days Ronchetti’s campaign has also pulled in the endorsements of influential law enforcement unions, the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, and the New Mexico State Fraternal Order of Police. Both groups have cited Ronchetti’s crime plan and support of law enforcement officers as the key reasons for their selection in this governor’s race.

Read an excerpt from the article below: 

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Early release for inmates under scrutiny in race for governor

Dan Boyd & Matthew Reisen

Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE – With Election Day less than six weeks away, Republican Mark Ronchetti continues to hammer away at Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s record on crime.

In a recently launched TV ad, Ronchetti criticized a Lujan Grisham executive order from April 2020 that, over two-plus years, authorized more than 700 inmates to be released early from prison due to the COVID-19 pandemic, provided they met specific criteria that included being scheduled for release within the next 30 days.

A spokeswoman for the Democratic governor said the executive order was rescinded this week – just days after the attack ad began airing…

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…In his ad, Ronchetti said one target in a recent high-profile FBI drug raid in Albuquerque, Omar Manzanilla, had been among those released under the order and cited a confidential informant’s remarks to agents that those arrested were in New Mexico because of the state’s “weak” criminal penalties….

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..The governor’s executive order allowing certain inmates to be released early from prison was issued shortly before the New Mexico Law Office of the Public Defender and other groups filed a petition with the state Supreme Court seeking a broad release of prisoners at heightened risk from COVID-19.

While that court case was ultimately unsuccessful, the political fallout from the order has emerged as an issue during this year’s race for governor.

Ronchetti, who has also accused Lujan Grisham of appointing “soft on crime” judges and supporting legislation making it more difficult for law enforcement officers to do their jobs, has highlighted the case of Manzanilla in his criticism of the governor’s order.

After being released early in June 2020 under Lujan Grisham’s executive order and failing to comply with the terms of his probation, Manzanilla was arrested in Valencia County on Sept. 21, 2020, on several felony charges after allegedly stealing a car, threatening a man with a gun and leading police on a chase, according to court records…

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Read the whole article HERE.

Original source can be found here.