THE RYAN CANGIOLOSI and HARVEY YATES SHENANIGANS
Last week we exposed the motives behind a bitter blogger's attacks on Governor Martinez and on the University of New Mexico regents, its administration, its basketball program.
Suspiciously, though they were referred to obliquely, blogger Daniel Libit left off specific references to Republican State Party Chairman Ryan Cangiolosi and Republican National Committeeman Harvey Yates. This led most readers to conclude that Cangiolosi and Yates were again the primary sources of the discontent, backbiting, rich gossip — most often unattributed — that Libit decided to go to press with.
RYAN CANGIOLOSI: RELISHING THE ROLES OF HORSE HOLDER and "SOURCE"
Ryan Cangiolosi worked on Susana Martinez's campaign and was given a comfortable position within the Martinez Administration, as is customary in politics everywhere. But insiders report he was incredibly dismayed when he was not given the chief of staff position. That was apparently laughable to those who understood Cangiolosi’s qualifications and talents:
“This is a guy who was a church music director and an errand-boy for Harvey Yates. No one seriously considered him qualified to be chief of staff.”
And the latter fact was clear — he was always the horse holder for General Yates, and his loyalty was to him, not to New Mexico and certainly not to Martinez.
Cangiolosi fell out with the administration because of the shady way in which he landed his UNMHSC Gig.
Ryan developed a reputation even within Republican circles for being what one Administration member described as a "mealy-mouthed panderer who constantly tried to ascertain which way the political winds were blowing and then cast himself as being on that side." Those in the office would mock Cangiolosi’s frequent name-dropping line of:
“Oh, he (insert name of perceived elite being discussed) is a good friend of mine.”
But while he was quick to name-drop, he was very slow to take strong positions.
So it was out of character somewhat when Cangiolosi suddenly began to aggressively push for the expansion of the UNM hospital. Though no one had any inkling of what lay ahead.
Cangiolosi suddenly began arranging meetings with members of the Board of Finance and UNM hospital executives in his office on the 4th floor. People found that curious, given Cangiolosi’s history of never leading the charge on anything.
Unbenownst to those on the 4th floor and to the Governor herself, there was a very logical — if incredibly conflicted — reason why Cangiolosi was lobbying so hard for the new hospital.
Then the other shoe dropped.
CANGIOLOSI WAS LOBBYING FOR HIS FUTURE EMPLOYER
It turned out that Cangiolosi had already accepted a position at UNM Health Sciences and was merely fulfilling that role while simultaneously continuing to serve on the governor's staff. Despite this obvious conflict, he never disclosed this fact to the Governor or those on the 4th floor — just as he was taking such an interest in pushing for the hospital.
The Governor and others were disgusted by his actions. To make matters worse, Cangiolosi attempted to explain his new position by stating he was going to be “special projects director.”
According to one inside source:
"Cangiolosi literally stated that one responsibility would be, 'You know, like they have different keys for doors and those all need to use the same key.' "
This was seen as almost hilarious. If you don't think about the ethics. Everyone rolled their eyes, immediately understanding precisely what Cangiolosi’s real job was going to be — lobbying the administration, in direct violation of the Governor’s executive order against former administration officials lobbying the administration within 2 years of leaving their posts.
As another staff member put it:
"It was clear to everyone — everyone perhaps except Cangiolosi — that he had been given a completely fake position and that his actual role was to be somehow on the inside lobbying the administration for UNMH."
GOVERNOR MARTINEZ INCENSED with the CANGIOLOSI MANEUVERS
The Governor, who campaigned against Richardson-era corruption, was furious at both Cangiolosi and UNM for what everyone recognized was a shady attempt to grease the skids for the hospital, and other projects.
Sad. But that's the way politicos in New Mexico keep doing things. Governor Martinez has taken great strides to reduce this sort of behavior, but as we can all see, it hasn't been wiped out.
UNM had not figured out something very simple: The best way to deal with Martinez is straight-up. Just present your case, and answer any and all questions that may arise. Instead, they tried a Richardson Era shortcut, thinking that hiring Cangiolosi (or some other perceived "insider") would get them to their goal — even as they refused to answer questions.
Big mistake.
INADVERTENT POINT MADE BY DANIEL LIBIT RE: GOV MARTINEZ
In his hit piece last week, Daniel Libit inadvertently confirmed a key Martinez characteristic: After writing about the friendship between the governor and Coach Neal, it's noteworthy (especially in light of Libit's spin — and that of Eaves) that Martinez didn't do anything to prevent Neal's firing. This points up the fact that she's never been one to let personal relationships affect how she approaches public business.
CANGIOLOSI RESPONDS WITH A VENGEANCE
Cangiolosi, after finding himself — perhaps unexpectedly on his part — on the outs with Martinez, turned to attacking Republicans. This was very consistent with his mentor Yates, and was seen by most to be an expected natural outgrowth of all he had done leading up to that point.
In 2016, Cangiolosi and Yates convinced many Republican legislators to abandon the governor’s political operation in favor of one run by them and Doug Turner, a consultant with somewhat limited success in winning races.
Cangiolosi and Yates were successful in wresting control of the legislative races away from Martinez.
The result was a disaster: Republicans lost control of the House in the 2016 elections. Something it had taken 60 years to win back was lost in the self-serving machinations. As far as anyone could tell, Yates and Cangiolosi were happy with the outcome — after all, their goal was merely to be in positions of "leadership" within the party.
But for many rank and file Republicans going back to what could be another 60-year wait was very frustrating. Meanwhile in the same election, Martinez was successful in defeating Senator Michael Sanchez, the powerful and extremely obstructionist Democratic leader of the Senate.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Also in 2016, Martinez was the chair of the Republican Governor's Association (RGA). It was an incredibly dumb moment for Yates and Cangiolosi to foist their movida on legislators and other candidates and push to marginalize the governor, but that's what they did. The RGA finished the cycle with the most Republican governors in US history. This contrasts incredibly with the failed NM House campaigns of Yates and Cangiolosi.]
This year, Cangiolosi and Yates have further marginalized Martinez and are running the show in the Albuquerque mayor’s race. Their candidate — Dan Lewis — appears to be floundering at around 7% in the polls.
VENGEANCE and DIVISION: Is it all that Cangiolosi and Yates Think About?
And it wasn't just fellow Republicans and Republican candidates that Cangiolosi and Yates took aim at. Years later, in November of 2015, Cangiolosi accidentally outed himself as the source of an article that created a firestorm in the press. It was that the FBI was completing an investigation of 
Martinez political advisor Jay McCleskey (an investigation that found no wrongdoing, incidentally).
Foolishly, Cangiolosi tweeted that he had just spoken to Santa Fe New Mexican reporter Steve Terrell, who later that evening broke a story using a single unnamed “prominent Republican” source.
Cangiolosi must have figured out that he had just exposed himself with the tweet, because minutes after the article broke Cangiolosi tried to delete it. Unfortunately for Cangiolosi, it was already captured.
The Yates Saga
Harvey Yates is on record throughout the state sowing discontent and launching attacks on fellow Republicans. "Hurricane Harvey" as he is increasingly known, lets everyone who will listen know — immediately — how much he disapproves of Martinez's "performance," though there is much evidence to suggest his disapproval is based on other "criteria."
And he wistfully recounts his memories of former Senator Tim Jennings, the Democrat who Yates long worshipped as his idea of an economic wizard who almost single-handedly ran the state. Having that particular Democrat — and a few others also — lose to a Republican (of all people) would bring about political and economic catastrophe according to Yates.
$450,000 was spent to get Yates' point across. 12,000 glossy mailers went out with Yates stem-winding endorsement. Full-page ads were purchased with the Yates imprimatur — all to keep a conservative Republican from having the seat that Yates thought Jennings must have for life.
Chaves and Eddy County voters listened. Ignored Yates completely. And sent Jennings packing in a landslide loss, ending 34 years of apparent euphoria for Yates.
Martinez's Big Sin?
As we have documented before, Harvey Yates had carved out a huge role for himself in the new Martinez Administration. He believed she "may not have some of the necessities" (to quote former LA Dodgers GM Al Campanis) to take on the actual job of governor and needed his personal guidance.
When Yates was subsequently passed over for the job of Transition Chair in favor of Heather Wilson, someone Martinez saw as having vastly more public policy knowhow and insight, Yates was perturbed beyond anything imagined.
Unbeknownst to anyone other than the itching ears he sought out, Yates' denigration of Martinez began early — and without any warning. Within a couple of years, certain people began parroting various Yatesisms about how "Susana" is this or that, failing in some vaguely unspecified way.
In short, Yates is the classic definition of the "disappointed office seeker" — the exact description used to describe the man who cut President Garfield's term somewhat short. Fortunately Harvey doesn't go to that extreme. Nonetheless, backbiting and personal agendas take their toll on people, on reputations, and in terms of party unity.
Yates is a poster child of disunity in New Mexico, and he flocks with two or three others whose only "agenda" is not the public good, but instead their own intensely personal one.
THE BOTTOM LINE: When Group B Republicans Win, Republicans Lose
We have discussed the phenomenon of the "Group B" Republicans in New Mexico — those whose main goal is the pursuit of what they regard as "power and influence." ("Group A" Republicans on the other hand, are focused on winning races against Democrats and trying to gain majorities in the legislature.)
The story of New Mexico politics in this case could be a tragic one. In January of 2015, Republicans had control of the Governor’s office, the state House for the first time in 60 years, and the Albuquerque Mayor’s office for the first time in a quarter century. Cangiolosi and Yates have already given back the state House.
Next month, we’ll find out how successful they are in Albuquerque.
And in 2018, we’ll see if they can hold the Governor’s office. If Republicans fail to recapture the House, and fail to hold the mayor’s office and the governorship, Yates and Cangiolosi will again have no one to blame but themselves. (But to be fair it isn't the top priority of Group B Republicans to accomplish these things, so if they're still in "leadership" they'll probably not feel there's any problem at all.)
Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions and ideas.