The man whom Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham sexually assaulted and paid $150k in hush money to settle the claims is speaking out, and he spills even more details about the abuse he suffered while working as the MLG's campaign communications director.
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In a series of interviews with The New Mexican, Hallinan revealed never-before-reported details about the alleged incident, including that he called three high-ranking Democrats — Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, Attorney General Hector Balderas and State Auditor Brian Colón — immediately afterward to tell them what he experienced.
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Hallinan, an openly gay man, questioned whether his sexuality is a factor... While he has described the alleged groping incident in the past, he detailed the circumstances that led up to it with The New Mexican.
He said he was at a senior campaign meeting at the home of former Rep. Deborah Armstrong when he voiced disapproval of two campaign ads the group was screening.
"I'm not a yes man," he said.
One of the ads, which highlighted crime, had been filmed in more affluent areas, he said.
"All the while, Michelle is wearing Manolo Blahniks and an opulent pearl necklace," he said. Manolo Blahnik is a brand of designer shoes. Hallinan added that Lujan Grisham "got real mad" when he expressed his disapproval of the first ad.
Hallinan said he also criticized Lujan Grisham's appearance in the second ad.
"She got real pissed off at me for saying she needed to look more Hispanic and not look like an elitist person," he said. "In the first commercial, I raised the same thing and said, 'Maybe we don't have to have you have the bleached blonde hair and the opulent pearl necklace.' She got real pissed off."
Lujan Grisham lashed out the second time he expressed his opinion, he said.
"That's when she grabbed the water bottle, which was probably about 75 percent full, and dumped it on my crotch … and then she does the slap and grab," he said.
He said he went into the kitchen of Armstrong's home and tried to dry off.
"Literally, I'm trying to comprehend, 'Did this really happen?' " he said.
Armstrong and others who were in the room have refuted Hallinan's allegations.
After the alleged groping, Hallinan said he told the group he was leaving and called Morales, Balderas and Colón.
Although he received a settlement, he claimed Lujan Grisham hasn't been held accountable for her actions.
"She is getting the free pass, and it's ridiculous," he said. "Just because I'm a manly homosexual does not mean I don't matter for being molested."
Michelle Lujam Grisham: New Mexico's very own Andrew Cuomo.
—Will Reinert
Regional Press Secretary | Republican Governors Association