MLG Deputy Campaign Manager Confirms MLG Received Questions and Used Them for Debate-Prep

Albuquerque, NM –  Several media outlets continue to cover the staggering Debate-Gate cheating scandal casting a dark shadow over Michelle Lujan Grisham's campaign in the final days of the election. The Governor has refused to deny whether or not her campaign cheated in that 2018 KOB-TV debate, or in this year's debates with Mark Ronchetti. 

KOB TV itself aired another story Friday night, clearly reporting that MLG's Communications Director and Deputy Campaign Manager, James Hallinan, received the questions from KOB and forwarded them directly to MLG. KOB also confirmed that Lujan Grisham used those questions to prepare for their debate.

KOB interviewed Hallinan, who read several more texts that had not been previously released: 

November 7, 2018 

Text from KOB Journalist: You're welcome. You're a great person and I'm here if you believe I'm qualified to contribute to a successful term for Michelle. 

The KOB journalist also sent Hallinan a screenshot of another journalist's notes and offers to send letters of recommendation for himself, hoping to get a job in the new Lujan Grisham Administration. KOB notes that the journalist did not end up with a job in her administration, but fails to note that he did get a job working for her ally and supporter, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller.

KOB's Matt Grubs then confirms that the leaked questions were used in the actual debate that aired live on the station two weeks later. 

Grubs: "Were they questions in the debate? Yes, they came from (New Mexicans) who participated in a series of state-wide panels in the weeks leading up to the debate." 

Grubs asks several questions of Hallinan, confirming that Michelle Lujan Grisham herself received the questions and used them to prepare for the debate: 

Grubs: "Did the Governor's campaign use those questions in their debate prep? 

Hallinan: "Yes, yes they did." 

Grubs: "Was it passed on directly to the Governor or did it get stopped at any point?" 

Hallinan: "Yes, yes, I sent it directly (to Michelle Lujan Grisham)" 

Grubs: "What does Governor Lujan Grisham say? The campaign did not address the accusations directly." 

Grubs then recaps the absolute non-response response from Michelle Lujan Grisham to his questions about the allegations. He says that the Lujan Grisham campaign has not addressed or responded directly to the allegations. As in all media stories by KOB TV, the Albuquerque Journal, and the Santa Fe New Mexican, the campaign never actually denies anything and there is no direct quote of denial referenced. 

For the 2nd night in a row, KOB managed to run another 3-minute story without ever getting the governor or her campaign to state on the record whether or not they received the questions.  There's obviously a big reason the campaign does not want to take that position on camera – they know it happened. Hallinan and KOB TV confirmed it in this story. 

The Santa Fe New Mexican also wrote an extensive story about Lujan Grisham's Debate-Gate: 

"James Hallinan… said Friday he was one of several campaign staffers who "absolutely" received texts from Joseph Lee Lynch, a cameraman who worked for KOB-TV at the time.

"He was sending [messages] and soliciting a lot of us on the campaign to get a job," Hallinan said of Lynch.

Yet again, Michelle Lujan Grisham's campaign failed to deny any accusations of cheating. 

See the latest KOB story here: 

Read the Santa Fe New Mexican story here:

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.