CFO Sues Over Alleged Illegal Fund Transfers | Albuquerque News

A top finance official in New Mexico’s Early Childhood Education Department is suing her own agency, claiming she was pushed out for exposing alleged illegal fund transfers tied to the state’s ambitious universal childcare program. Since taking over as CFO in 2022, Carmel Pacheco-Aragon flagged massive budget shortfalls and warned of potential tens-of-millions deficits — only to be placed on administrative leave and pressured by superiors, including possibly the governor’s office, to divert funds without proper legal approval. Her attorney, a former state senator, calls the alleged violations some of the worst he’s seen in state finance law. The department denies wrongdoing, saying her leave stems from an HR investigation — not the claims in court. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3f06972cf615a439