ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A congressional candidate and former chairwoman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico is facing accusations from a former Democratic official that she failed to address a misconduct claim.
Nicole Bagg, a former New Mexico Democratic National Committee Platform committeewoman, said Thursday that former chairwoman Deb Haaland ignored her complaint involving former a Dona Ana County commissioner who later resigned over misconduct accusations.
But in a statement, Haaland strongly disputed Bagg’s story and said she helped push for the first statewide sexual harassment policy for the state Democratic Party.
“We had no official complaints filed in my two years as chair, but I knew that was a problem because nowhere in America is free from harassment of women,” Haaland said, who is seeking an open congressional seat in central New Mexico.
Haaland was chairwoman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico from 2015 to 2017. If elected, she’ll be the nation’s first Native American congresswoman.
The Democratic Party of New Mexico confirmed it received no formal complaints while Haaland was chair.
According to Bagg, Dona Ana County’s then Commissioner John Vasquez and two of his friends invited her to brainstorm about politics in October 2016 after watching the presidential debate. Bagg said an inebriated Vasquez made racists comments and derogatory remarks about women and discussed his pending sexual harassment cases.
Bagg told reporters Vasquez left her alone with the two others and she was forced to walk home in Las Cruces after her phone died. Bagg alleged that Dona Ana County sheriff’s deputies found her “collapsed” on the ground at 4:30 a.m., but she didn’t file a report.
Bagg said she wasn’t personally sexually harassed, but felt Vasquez’s conduct was inappropriate toward other women based on his comments.
Vasquez resigned from the Dona Ana County Commission earlier this year amid pressure from Democrats. He has denied the allegations but did not immediately return a phone message.
Bagg said she later tried to tell Haaland about the case at a heated Democratic gathering of activists in Silver City, but was prevented from talking to her. During that meeting, a group of disgruntled Democrats sought to remove Haaland from her position over a canceled presidential straw poll.
In addition, Bagg said she informed the party’s Executive Director Joe Kabourek about the case and didn’t hear back.
She said she was not connected to any of Haaland’s opponents in the Democratic congressional primary and was speaking out after the Democratic Party of New Mexico faced high-profile sexual misconduct cases.
“I have nothing to gain by speaking out today,” she said.
Party chairman Richard Ellenberg resigned in March after a skeptical response to sexual misconduct allegations against a figure in New Mexico’s film industry.
An animal rights advocate and former political lobbyist went public with sexual harassment allegations Wednesday against New Mexico Democratic state lawmaker, Carl Trujillo, who cast himself as the victim of politically motivated lies.
Damon Martinez, one of Haaland’s opponents in the Democratic primary, said there should be “a full accounting of all sexual harassment or similar claims that have been reported to the Democratic Party of New Mexico in recent years.”
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