Staff Reports
An ethics complaint filed with the State Ethics Commission accuses New Mexico State Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, and three Department of Transportation officials of misconduct.
Attorney Jacob Candelaria, a former state senator, filed the complaint on Sept. 11, alleging that Muñoz used the power of his office to pull strings for his sons’ pavement marking company.
The complaint centers on an alleged Nov. 1, 2024 phone call from Muñoz to NMDOT District 6 Engineer Lisa Boyd Vega.
In an interview with the Sun, George said he didn’t remember that particular call.
He provided a timeline that he says proves he maintains no involvement with Prestigious Paving, LLC—the paving and striping company his sons, Zane and Landon Muñoz, launched in 2021.
According to Muñoz, he checked in with the State Ethics Commission when his sons’ business began taking off to keep everything above board. He wrote a letter to the commission on Dec. 22, 2022, detailing the strict limits of his involvement.
“You want to make sure there’s no appearance of [wrongdoing] because as a state senator, I’m held to a higher standard,” he said.
While his sons initially operated out of his Gallup laydown yard, Muñoz Corporation, Muñoz claims they held no state contracts during that starting phase.
By 2022, Prestigious Paving began bidding on state jobs.
Muñoz asserts he had completely removed himself from the business by then, aside from renting them equipment storage space on his lot. He maintains his sons won every contract through a competitive bidding process that strictly followed state procurement code.
The State Ethics Commission answered Muñoz’s inquiry in February 2023. The commission confirmed that state law allows state agencies to contract with a legislator’s family business if the agency awards the contract through competitive bidding rather than a sole-source or small-purchase agreement. Because Muñoz receives only rental income and holds no ownership stake, the law does not consider his tie a «substantial interest» or require prior ownership disclosures.
Candelaria wasn’t available for an interview before press time. This is a developing story, and more will be published at a later date.
