The list of criminal charges against former state Treasurer Robert Vigil grew last week as federal prosecutors added conspiracy and money laundering to the 21 counts of extortion in his indictment.
Michael Montoya, Vigil's predecessor in the elected office, has pleaded guilty to one count of extortion and is cooperating with federal officials, as are at least two key witnesses.
The new charges focus on Vigil's successful campaign for New Mexico treasurer in 2002. Montoya was elected treasurer in 1994 and 1998, but was prohibited by state law from seeking a third four-year term.
Vigil was deputy state treasurer under Montoya from 1998 to 2001, and state auditor from 1991 to 1998. He unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 1998.
Vigil resigned Oct. 26 to avoid possible impeachment.
The new charges allege Vigil, working with Montoya and admitted bagman Angelo Garcia, conspired to pay Vigil's campaign debts from a kickback scheme in which an outside adviser paid a percentage of his commissions in exchange for state investment business.
According to the new charges, while Vigil was deputy treasurer in 2000, he terminated Kent Nelson as investment adviser, but then immediately approved flexible repurchase agreements with Nelson's firm, Strategic Investment Services.
One incident cited in the indictment alleges that on June 15, 2001, Vigil entered into a letter agreement with Morgan Stanley for a $700 million repurchase agreement that called for Nelson to receive a $350,000 brokerage fee for the deal. That fee was the source of the kickback that eventually wound up in Vigil's campaign, the government charged.
Garcia paid $37,542 of Vigil's campaign expenses between August 2003 and March 2005 from money collected from Nelson, the indictment alleges.
