SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s disgraced former secretary of state made a tearful plea for leniency Monday as she faced sentencing for siphoning money from her election account to fuel a gambling addiction.
Dianna Duran, a once-high-ranking elected official, abruptly resigned in October and pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement and four misdemeanors counts under a plea bargain reached with prosecutors.
Choking back tears, Duran said she was truly sorry.
“I’ll apologize to the people of New Mexico, to my family and my friends,” she said. “And I’m truly sorry. I would just ask this court for forgiveness and leniency.”
State District Judge T. Glenn Ellington will consider the plea agreement at the hearing. It calls for Duran to stay out of jail while serving probation and paying restitution to campaign donors.
Under the agreement, the 60-year-old Duran can withdraw her guilty pleas if Ellington orders time in prison.
A former state senator from Tularosa, Duran had sought leniency in court filings, citing undisclosed personal hardships and a worsening gambling disorder. A mental health assessment was submitted to the court and has been kept under seal.
Defense attorney Erlinda Johnson said her client’s gambling problem dates to 2010, the year she became the first Republican elected to the secretary of state’s office since 1928. Johnson has said the gambling spiraled out of control in 2012 and 2013.
State Sen. Bill Sharer also asked the judge to be lenient, saying Duran cared about her constituents and that she didn’t take taxpayer money. The Republican lawmaker said Duran already has paid a high price by losing her reputation and her dream of being a public servant.
Duran ran to be the state’s top elections official on a platform of eliminating voter fraud. She was re-elected last year.
The case led to legislative proposals to increase penalties for public officials convicted of corruption and expand campaign finance disclosures and oversight.
The secretary of state’s office is charged with overseeing and enforcing New Mexico’s elections and campaign finance laws. Some residents have left phone messages and sent letters to the judge expressing frustration and calling for a stiff sentence for Duran.
Others, including U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM), a Republican, have suggested that the judge consider Duran’s decades of public service when imposing a punishment.
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