Judge Maria Sanchez-Gagne of 1st Judicial District Court Santa Fe County, on Thursday, October 15, issued a key decision against John Bassett finding him guilty of malfeasance in office, fraud against the taxpayers, misuse of public funds, and violating the Town of Edgewood’s Nepotism ordinance.
WATCH: Eye on Edgewood – Bassett Deemed Guility recap video here.
READ: Lawsuit filed with Court: 2020-03.02 Complaint.1st Amended – eFiled Lawsuit; Court’s Summary Judgment: 2020-10.15 ORDER.Summary Judgment.Count 2 John Bassett; and Court’s Default Judgment: 2020-10.14 ORDER.Default Judgment against Bassett WATCH: KRQE News story
Excerpt from Summary Judgment (emphasis added):
THE COURT FINDS AND DECLARES THAT:
1. Defendant John Bassett willfully violated the Nepotism Ordinance (No. 1999-B) for the Town of Edgewood by appointing his first cousin to the Town’s Planning and Zoning Commission;
2. Defendant John Bassett is deemed guilty of malfeasance in office for violating the Town of Edgewood’s Nepotism Ordinance;
3. Defendant John Bassett is subject to dismissal and removal from office as mayor for the Town of Edgewood for violating the Nepotism Ordinance;
4. Defendant John Bassett is subject to punishment for a misdemeanor criminal offense for violating the Town of Edgewood’s Nepotism Ordinance, including a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00) or ninety (90) days in jail, or both.
Further, the court granted a Writ of Mandamus, which is a legal court order for Edgewood’s governing body to enforce the Town Ordinances as they were elected to do. The Writ of Mandamus requires the governing body to remove John Bassett from office without delay.
Bassett’s illegal actions were made possible with support from two members of the governing body, Linda Holle and John Abrams, who repeatedly voted with Bassett (over strong objections from Audrey Jaramillo and Sherry Abraham) on many ill-advised actions, to block requests for information, and to keep items off the agenda. Per Judge Sanchez-Gagne’s ruling, through his own actions, Bassett has forfeited his position as mayor and is no longer eligible to hold office. The question now is, will all the elected officials on the governing body put the people of Edgewood first and uphold the laws?
As citizens, our expectations should be that our Governing Body will do what is demanded by ethical guidelines and as they are legally ordered to do by the court. While that seems obvious and straight-forward, based on past behavior, Bassett (even Abrams and Holle) may not choose to do the right thing and act for the benefit of the town. Bassett’s repeated disdain and disrespect for his neighbors, the citizens of Edgewood, has shown his desire for office has never been about the community only about his personal gain.
Under Bassett, the waste of tax dollars spent on legal fees instead of community improvements has been horrendous. With Bassett removed from office, he will no longer have access to Edgewood town funds to defend himself and his illegal acts perpetrated AGAINST THE TOWN and the citizens/taxpayers of Edgewood.
Although Bassett may seek to drag out the inevitable, the fact that he did not even appear in court or attempt to defend his actions in any way speaks volumes. How do you defend the indefensible? He can’t, and that’s why the full governing body needs to do their job and stop the waste and corruption Bassett has beset on our community.
We will all be watching with interest which elected officials will respect and follow the laws they have sworn to uphold and which the court has now ordered them to follow. Failure to uphold the law is misfeasance and would make any member of the governing body who fails to follow the law also subject to removal from office.
The governing body’s duty is to represent the interests of the people of Edgewood. How they choose to do so or not speaks to their priorities, their loyalties, and their character.
READ:
2020-03.02 Complaint.1st Amended – eFiled Lawsuit
2020-10.15 ORDER.Summary Judgment.Count 2 John Bassett
2020-10.14 ORDER.Default Judgment against Bassett
