Tonight I received a call from a Reporter to inform me he was going to do a story about Rebecca Vigil Giron. He said she said some pretty nasty things about you, Hector Balderas and Gary King. He asked if he could send them to me to make comments. I said "no I really do not care what she said about me". What happen was I requested an audit of the HAVA funds in November shortly after I was elected Secretary of State, because I could not believe the entire HAVA funds could of been spent so quickly. Those Funds were awarded to States to assist for up-coming elections to last for several years.
I advised him I knew nothing about the criminal end of the audit, or was I involved in the criminal investigation. I worked on the administrative end of the audit. I told the Reporter, I really do not believe in my heart she took any money, but she was dumb to trust the Koefers' and Mr. Gutierrez. I told him when I heard she had gotten indicted, I cried in my office. I had no clue that the Attorney General was conducting a criminal investigation and who was involved. I never was called in to testify, I only worked on the administrative end of the audit. Taking office and not finding a financial person, I myself had to work with one staff member to give the Federal Auditors all the financial reports and records that were not available. During the month of January through May, the first year I took office (2007), having an accounting background, I had to work almost every night until midnight to create reports and try to track down invoices for the Federal Auditors. I later was able to hire a Chief Financial Officer. Rebecca never gave us the courtesy of a transition. This may have helped her.
When I found out who Mr. Gutierrez was from one of auditors, during a meeting sometime in March 2007, I must of turned white, when they mentioned his name, I also told the Reporter, "I almost fell off my chair" because the Auditor asked me, "do you know him", I said "yes", he was our President of the Hispano Music Association, I was a Board Member and he is a nice guy and an intelligent man, I am shocked". The auditor told me, should I give him more time to come up with the missing 3.4 million dollar invoices. I said, "yes" I believe he has them in the basement in boxes as he informed you. I was wrong, he never came up with those invoices.
I advised the Reporter that my administration went through hell because of Rebecca Vigil Giron with all the State Agencies. They no longer trusted the Secretary of State's office because of Rebecca Vigil Giron; however, they did me a favor in the long run because I left that office with an unqualified audit, ZERO findings. Best Audit any agency can accomplish. Oh course, we got no credit for this great audit from the media because they were too one sided on the false accusation being made about us at the time, by disgruntled employees. We had to do double work, provide extra documentation, always justify what were purchasing or going out to bid, etc. The Agencies realized Rebecca Vigil Giron signed off on millions of dollars of paper work without the proper documentation or proof that the work had been performed. That is where she went wrong and got in trouble, trusting those people she hired to do advertising.
My last comment to the Reporter, was "Rebecca better find some forgiveness in her heart if she expects God to pull through all this". I also told him Hector Balderas, Gary King and myself were only doing out jobs. Hector Balderas (State Auditor) did not perform the original audit, the Federal Auditors conducted this audit that identified the 3.4 million dollars of services not found.
Yes for the record, I got emotional as I talked to the Reporter. I told him I am praying for Rebecca Vigil Giron.
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