Dianna Duran, New Mexico secretary of state, resigns, faces fraud charges

New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran resigned from her post late Thursday night just before she was due in court on Friday on fraud charges.

Ms. Duran “indeed tendered her resignation late last night,” her attorney, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson of Albuquerque, wrote in an email to NMPolitics.net.

Her resignation comes before a Friday morning hearing in the Santa Fe District Court where “some new developments in the case” are expected to be revealed, Ms. Johnson said.

Ms. Duran, a Republican, faces fraud, embezzlement, money laundering and other charges related to abusing the state’s campaign finance reporting system. She had pleaded not guilty.

Her resignation was revealed in an email, in which Kari Fresquez, interim state elections director, announced the cancellation of several rulemaking hearings scheduled to be held Friday.

“In light of Secretary Duran’s resignation on Thursday evening, the Office of the Secretary of State has cancelled the rulemaking hearings,” states the 11:18 p.m. Thursday message to unknown recipients, NMpolitics reported. The email was obtained and released by New Mexico’s Democratic Party.

Gov. Susana Martinez, a Republican, is now tasked with selecting a replacement to lead the secretary of state’s office through the 2016 election.

Ms. Duran’s resignation comes almost two months after Attorney General Hector Balderas filed a criminal complaint accusing her of misusing campaign donations by funneling some $13,000 into personal accounts and filing false campaign finance reports with her own office.

The secretary of state’s office is responsible for enforcing New Mexico’s elections and campaign finance laws.