With Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham facing ongoing pressure related to an alleged sexual assault against a staffer, New Mexico state Rep. Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) has joined the voices calling for Grisham's resignation.
Lord shared a statement on Twitter in which she called Grisham's "history of sexual harassment" a "stain" on New Mexico. Lord drew comparisons to the pressure exerted by Democrats on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign after he came under fire "for much less."
"Today I call on Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to resign from office," Lord wrote in the tweet that accompanied the link to her statement. "Being a woman does not excuse a public official from sexually violating anyone. No elected official is above the law."
In her statement, Lord went on to call out Democrats around the state by saying that they should "do the right thing" and join in calls for Grisham's resignation. Lord stated that supporters who helped fund Lujan Grisham's campaign should demand their money back, since a recent $87,500 payout to Grisham's accuser came from her campaign funds.
KOB4 reported that, with the most recent sum, Lujan Grisham has now paid a total of $150,000 from campaign funds to the campaign staffer who accused her of grabbing his crotch. The payments have come to light as the result of mandatory campaign finance disclosures.
A previous disclosure earlier this year from Lujan Grisham's political committee showed a settlement payment for $62,500, according to KOB4.
Lujan Grisham's office has unequivocally stated that the sexual harassment accusations against her are completely without merit.
In Lord's statement, she noted that another individual accused Lujan Grisham of similar behavior in 2005.