Montoya's Money

How much money has Advantage Asphalt owner Anthony Montoya, the man at the center of an ongoing corruption investigation, thrown at New Mexico politicians?

SFR mapped some of out Montoya's properties in a story this week. The Santa Fe New Mexican and the Journal Santa Fe have reported the basics of the following political contributions by Montoya and his main business, Advantage:

• $2,550 to Matthew Ortiz' Santa Fe City Council campaign in 2004 (not to mention an unknown amount in legal fees after Councilor Ortiz became Advantage's lawyer in 2007. In his 2008 re-election campaign, Ortiz reported only one campaign contribution, for $5,000, from AFSCME, the union whose local branch Montoya once led).

• $750, "at least," to City Councilor Carmichael Dominguez. Montoya's wife, Marlene, was Dominguez' campaign treasurer.

• $250 to the Santa Fe County Commission campaign of Planning Commission Chairman Jon Paul Romero (to which should be added the $42,300 Romero's own contracting company, Southwest Designs, was reportedly paid by Advantage on a subcontract for a county road project).

• $1,000 to County Commission campaign of Angelica Ruiz, who is currently a Santa Fe Public Schools board member.

With a few minutes' of digging, SFR found more contributions to other politicians by Montoya, his companies and immediate family.

It's evident that Montoya has better luck picking horses than picking politicians.

• Montoya, his wife, Marlene, and son, Nicholas, together gave $5,000 to Gov. Bill Richardson's also-ran Presidential campaign in 2007.

• Santa Fe County Commissioner Harry Montoya received $1,000 for his 2008 Congressional campaign from Marlene Montoya. A company registered to Marlene and based out of a PO Box, Link Services, LLC, gave another $1,000 to Harry Montoya this year, for his failed bid for Commissioner of Public Lands.

• In 2006, Anthony Montoya gave $500 to the campaign of former Secretary of State Stephanie Gonzales, who sought to regain the office, and lost.

• And in 2008, Montoya gave $500 to former County Commissioner Paul Campos' failed run for a seat on the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission.

There are probably more donations like these yet to be found. But, as revelations from the police investigation so far suggest, the juiciest stuff probably was not recorded in anyone's campaign finance statements.