PRC commissioner's gas card use questioned
Posted at: 08/04/2011 6:09 PM
| Updated at: 08/04/2011 7:27 PM
By: Gadi Schwartz, KOB Eyewitness News 4; Charlie Pabst, KOB.com
A KOB investigation exposes over 50 questionable charges on one PRC commissioner's gas card. Fuel records for Commissioner Jerome Block Jr. show dozens of fuel charges from the same day, sometimes only minutes apart at multiple gas stations in the Santa Fe and Espanola areas.
From January to May, Block's gas account shows a charges totaling around $4,000— twice as much as any other commissioner— despite the fact that Block lives closest to the PRC's offices in Santa Fe.
Many of those purchases appear to have been made back-to-back.
We gave Block a copy of gas records we obtained so he could look over them.
On May 6 of this year, Block's PIN and a PRC gas card were used to buy $29 of unleaded at a Conoco in Espanola. Nine minutes later, $40 was charged on the card for unleaded plus. Two hours after that, another charge at the same gas station for $80.92.
Similar charges took place at almost a dozen gas stations.
Block said Thursday, "I wouldn't abuse state property or abuse a position that people have entrusted me to do that."
Block says someone else must have made those charges and pointed to several gas charges that were made while he says he was on leave from the PRC earlier this year and was not using his state issued SUV.
He says he paid back about $200 in charges that could have appeared suspect.
Gas cards at the PRC are usually assigned to specific vehicles and anyone authorized with a fuel PIN number is able to use any card for gas purchases with a personalized PIN number.
Block admitted in an interview with KOB that he may have given his pin out to other employees to fill up his car.
About three hours after the interview, investigators with the state Attorney General's office were seen searching the SUV assigned to Commissioner Block.
State Auditor Hector Balderas says the matter will also be reviewed and audited by his office.
Block is already facing felony charges for alleged misuse of public campaign funds from his election in 2008. The state Court of Appeals reinstated those charges this week.
Block makes $90,000 a year as a PRC commissioner.
> See the gas card records obtained by KOB Eyewitness News 4 (PDF)
> Video: Watch an extended interview with Commissioner Block
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