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Clarification On NMiF December 6 Broadcast

By Gene Grant, NMiF Host

I’d like to make an important clarification regarding our discussion on the December 6, 2013 episode of New Mexico in Focus about the National Journal profile of Jay McCleskey. The writer was Daniel Libit, interestingly, a native of Albuquerque.

One of the points the article made was the amount of money paid to McCleskey Media Strategies by various candidates and two PAC’s, and during our discussion I proposed this point to one of our panelists, Tom Garrity:

“…the $850,000 this man has earned in about two and some years is extraordinary to me…from a New Mexico basis. It’s extraordinary. One person…”

Viewers could have inferred that Jay McCleskey has personally pocketed this amount, when the article clearly states otherwise.

From the article:

“…An analysis of campaign finance reports shows that, since Martinez’s election, the two political action committees have paid more than $850,000 in expenditures to McCleskey Media Strategies (which he at times lists under other trade names) and Public Opinion Strategies (where McCleskey’s wife is a partner). McCleskey says the setup is similar to “virtually every high-ranking elected official in the country…”

 Many of us in New Mexico work on contract. I have many times and continue to do so. The reality is that after all the expenses are paid, and in the case of political shops like McCleskey Media Strategies that can include television, radio and print media, mailers, postage, printing costs and the like, there’s a percentage left for the company. So to imply all the billings go to a firm’s owner is inaccurate.