Santa Fe, NM — A whistleblower lawsuit filed this week by the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department's (ECECD) own chief financial officer confirms what Senate Republicans have warned for months: Governor Lujan Grisham's universal childcare program is a fiscal train wreck wide open to fraud, waste, and abuse.
The lawsuit alleges ECECD leadership illegally shuffled funds to paper over an $83 million budget shortfall, without the written authorization and legislative approval state law requires, then retaliated against the CFO who blew the whistle, placing her on leave days after she raised concerns.
"We warned New Mexicans this program was built on political deception, not sound math," said State Senator Steve Lanier (R-Aztec). "Now the department's own chief financial officer is telling a judge exactly what we said all along: the administration moved $83 million around in the dark, broke the law doing it, and punished the one person who tried to stop it. That's not universal childcare. That's a slush fund, and hardworking New Mexico taxpayers are the ones left holding the bag. No one is against childcare assistance for those who truly need it; we are against violating the law and lying to New Mexican taxpayers which is what this administration has done."
Senate Republicans are calling for immediate legislative oversight hearings, an independent audit of ECECD's finances, and full whistleblower protection for the employee who came forward.
