New Mexico State Auditor's special audit found Mora County withdrew $3.04 million in interest on wildfire-recovery loans without proper tracking and called a $168,359 theater renovation a waste and abuse of public funds
Subject of this story
Also named
What happened
A forensic special audit by Carr, Riggs & Ingram for the New Mexico Office of the State Auditor, transmitted to the Mora County commission on April 27, 2026, covers January 2020 through May 2025. It reports the county withdrew $3,044,278.33 in interest earned on Senate Bill 6 disaster-recovery loan funds, did not properly record the deposits or accurately track their use, and spent $168,359.09 on the privately owned Chief Theater without following procurement policies, which the auditors call a waste and abuse of public funds. The audit also reports commissioners were involved in operational matters that belong to county management. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported the audit also cited procurement code violations and conflicts of interest, that State Auditor Joseph Maestas said a referral to the State Ethics Commission was likely and one to the Department of Finance and Administration possible, and that the New Mexico Department of Justice had previously opened an investigation into the county.
Sources (2)
Response
Not yet contacted for this story.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.