It's Not All Connected: Adam Kokesh, a former US Marine who served in Iraq, is now running for US Congress in New Mexico's 3rd District on what he calls a "constitutional," but generally small-government, platform. When SFR reached him, he was walking down the street in Cuba, NM, having just finished another leg of his RV tour-cum-campaign fundraiser.
"We just today came off the Navajo reservation, and it's been really satisfying having a chance to talk to people and see what's on people's minds, especially when there's so much dissatisfaction [with] the kind of corruption people see in both political parties," Kokesh tells SFR.
That corruption, of course, is not to be confused with his father's recent run-in with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which on Oct. 28 formally charged Santa Fe venture capitalist Charles R Kokesh with misappropriating $45 million and defrauding 21,000 investors by offering bogus investment advice, providing "misleading proxy statements" and filing false SEC reports.
"The Commission seeks a permanent injunction against further violations of the securities laws," the SEC's litigation release reads—that, plus the money returned with interest and the payment of civil fines. Additionally, on Nov. 10 KSFR reported that Charles Kokesh still faces foreclosure on his $4 million Santa Fe home and is behind on payments for the $2 million Santa Fe Horse Park.
"Whatever happened, I hope and trust that justice will be done," Adam says. A Nov. 9 disclaimer on the Adam Kokesh for Congress website enumerates the campaign's "extraordinary lengths" to achieve due diligence: a CPA, a "top rated Washington DC Attorney with a top secret security clearance" and a "meticulous" financial director.
Nonetheless, Adam seems vaguely bothered by the shadow of his father's misdeeds. "I run for office, and the next thing you know, everyone's picking on my dad," he says. "But what can you do? We're up against a very corrupt machine here."
Money for Nothin': Last week, Gov. Bill Richardson named a budgetary task force to tackle tax increases before the January 2010 legislative session. Of the 40 people chosen for the task force, SFR found that at least 21 are registered lobbyists.
"I think it's that old Russell Long [quote]: 'Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax that guy behind the tree,'" Fred Nathan of Think New Mexico (a registered public-interest lobbyist) says. Nathan says he'd like to see a tax on alcohol, tobacco and sugary foods: "We're one of a minority of states that doesn't tax non-diet sugary beverages and candy, and the alcohol, tobacco and sugary foods not only generate monies but also save on health expenditures," Nathan says. Besides, who doesn't want to lose weight?
