Schmidly’s donation raises questions in New Mexico

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

By Nicole Riley
O'Collegian Staff Writer

Former OSU President David Schmidly gave the maximum campaign donation allowable to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign less than a month after Schmidly was announced as the new president of the University of New Mexico.

Schmidly said his $2,300 contribution to Richardson, a fellow Democrat, had nothing to do with his appointment.

“Well, I would not donate to someone just simply because they are close to me,” Schmidly said. “I donated to him because as I’ve met him and heard his platform and his presentation, I resonate with the man, and that’s why I donated to [him].”

Four of the seven regents who appointed Schmidly in New Mexico have contributed a combined $8,800 to Richardson’s campaign, according to http://www.opensecrets.org. Each regent gave about the maximum donation.

Like at OSU, the governor appoints UNM’s board of regents.

A Common Cause spokesperson and an OSU political science professor, Jim Davis, said the donations raise an ethical concern.

“It certainly, at minimum, raises the question of are these people in some way feeling pressured into making contributions because he is their boss,” said spokesperson Mary Boyle of Common Cause.

Schmidly’s contribution to Richardson was his first donation to a federal campaign in about eight years, according to the Web site.

“I’m not a big political contributor,” Schmidly said in a telephone interview from New Mexico.

Schmidly said that during his candidacy for UNM president, he talked to Richardson over the phone but didn’t meet him in person until moving to New Mexico.

He said Richardson’s been a strong supporter of higher education.

“He’s kept tuition very low by investing state money into higher education, and he has used higher education to bring significant industry to New Mexico,” Schmidly said.

“He’s a really quality person. He’s got good values,” Schmidly said. “He has good judgment in my opinion, and that’s why I donated to him.”

Schmidly’s other two federal donations listed on the Opensecrets Web site were $250 to a Texas Democrats congressional campaign in 1998 and $250 in 1999 to the American Dream PAC, an independent leadership PAC that was reported to give help to minority GOP candidates financially.

The fact that Schmidly donated less than a month after UNM hired him might seem suspicious, but Schmidly said, “The coincidence was probably I was just out here.”

Schmidly said he knew nothing about the UNM regents’ donations. According to the Opensecrets Web site, Schmidly gave his donation on March 12, which an Albuquerque newspaper reported was the same day he attended his first board of regents meeting and said he had plans to meet with Richardson later. Schmidly said he didn’t remember if he met with Richardson that day.

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An OSU political science professor said Schmidly’s and the regent’s donations are “probably something that people just do to cover their political bases.”

“It’s just what’s expected, perhaps, from regents or from college presidents or from others that are prominent personalities in the state,” Bob England said.

Common Cause, an organization that advocates public financing of presidential campaigns, said on its Web site that the influence of wealthy interests in the funding of campaigns has “eroded public trust in our political system and discouraged political participation.”

Boyle said the donations are a “good example of why we think that we really need to fix the public financing system so that presidential campaigns are not financed by individuals.”

“We shouldn’t have a campaign finance system where you’re looking at contributions and you’re wondering whether they were in search of some kind of access and influence buying,” said Boyle. “You wouldn’t worry, ‘Are these regents trying to curry favor?’ or ‘Are these regents trying to seek another seven-year appointment?’

On the other hand, Boyle and Davis agreed it’s possible that Schmidly and the UNM regents respect Richardson and simply want to support him.

“I could look at this governor’s candidacy and say, ‘Geez, that guy doesn’t even have his own people backing him,’” Davis said. “You’d figure he’d have that.”

Davis said if government employees are acting independently, such donations are OK.

“I can say that it doesn’t leave a good taste in my mouth, but the arguments for are as strong as the arguments against,” he said. “It’s just one of those ambiguous questions.”

England said he’d be surprised if Schmidly hadn’t donated to Richardson.

“If you’re going to be the president of a university and your governor is running for presidency, would you not support him?” England said.

A former Oklahoma state auditor said it boils down to two issues: “What are the laws of New Mexico?” and “Is it morally right?”

“If the laws that govern New Mexico do not prohibit it, it becomes a moral issue,” Clifton Scott said. “Once [information about donations] is published, it comes down to, ‘What does the public opinion say about it?’”

Boyle said the donations are legal.

At the time of Schmidly’s donation, Opensecrets.org listed him as an employee of UNM, but Schmidly said that was incorrect.

“When I came out to New Mexico, I used annual leave, and I had New Mexico pay me as a consultant,” Schmidly said. “So that way I couldn’t be accused of double dipping or abusing my role at Oklahoma State.”

Schmidly said he officially started working as president of UNM on June 1. According to an OSU A&M Board of Regents meeting, he was on “special assignment” to finish teaching his leadership class effective March 1. His contract as OSU president didn’t officially end until May 31, according to OSU records.

Schmidly’s donation might count for little if England is correct that Richardson loses his party’s nomination to either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

Schmidly disagreed.

“He’s not losing ground,” Schmidly said. “He’s gaining ground.”

According to opensecrets.org, Richardson, who has received more than $5 million from New Mexico alone, has surprised some political analysts with his ability to raise money while maintaining his position as governor. Donations from individuals such as Schmidly’s make up 98 percent of Richardson’s overall campaign contributions, according to opensecrets.org. As of Oct. 18, Richardson had raised about $19 million and 49 percent of his contributors donated about $2,300, according to the Opensecrets Web site.

“I think he’s going to hang around,” Schmidly said

This story was published October 23rd, 2007 under Front Page.

http://www.ocolly.com/2007/10/23/schmidly’s-donation-raises-questions-in-new-mexico/