Dianna Duran resigned her position as New Mexico's Secretary of State Friday morning and promptly pleaded guilty to multiple counts of embezzling, money laundering, and violation of campaign finance laws.
Duran took a plea deal that forces her to resign her position, and requires five years of supervised probation, restitution of $14,000 to campaign donors, and a requirement that she not have
access to public funds, the New Mexico Political Report said. In addition, the plea agreement leaves Duran's pension benefits in place, despite a 2013 state law that said the state could revoke the benefits if a public official is guilty of a felony.
She pleaded guilty to three embezzlement counts, one money laundering count, and two counts of violating campaign finance law, the media outlet reported.
Should Duran be given jail time at a Dec. 14 sentencing hearing, she will have the option of withdrawing her guilty pleas, according to Judge Glenn Ellington.
The fact she'll get to keep her pension despite the felonies aggravated some people online:
"I now realize some of my choices were not healthy and I will be seeking the appropriate professional help,”
Duran told The Albuquerque Journal and other reporters. "I want it to be completely clear to all New Mexicans that at no time did I ever do anything in my official capacity as secretary of state that would jeopardize the integrity of the office."
She added that she "never improperly used taxpayer resources, including money.”
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