Pat Rogers resigns from top law firm following Col. Custer email fallout
Posted at: 08/31/2012 4:55 PM
| Updated at: 09/03/2012 12:28 PM
By: Adam Camp, KOB Eyewitness News 4; Shaun Griswold, KOB.com
Pat Rogers, a Republican National Committee leader, resigned today as a partner from a prominent Albuquerque law firm due to comments he made in an email sent to Gov. Susana Martinez staffers that many Native Americans deemed offensive.
Modrall Sperling President, R.E. Thompson accepted Rogers' resignation Friday afternoon.
"Recent revelations of private e-mail communications have distracted from our mission, and Pat Rogers has tendered his resignation from the Firm," Thompson said in a statement.
The email in question was sent on June 8 to top advisors in the governor's circle, including state Republican House Minority Whip Keith Gardner, political advisor Jay McClesky and the governor's attorney Paul Kennedy.
Rogers complains in the email that Martinez disrespected the memory of Col. George Armstrong Custer because she attended a tribal summit in southern New Mexico.
“The state is going to hell,” Rogers wrote. “Col. [Allen] Weh would not have dishonored Col. Custer in this manner.”
Weh ran against Martinez in 2010 during the state GOP governor primary.
Rogers contended the remark was an attempt at humor.
The emails were released by Source PAC and ProgressNow New Mexico last week.
He recently served on the RNC Executive Committee, and helped prepare the state delegation for this week's Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.
Rogers was unavailable for a comment at this time.
Stay with KOB.com for more on this developing story.
Read the statement from Modrall Sperling Law firm:
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