Calorie Control/Ajinomoto Lobbyist Indicted on 50 Criminal Charges; 2 articles from New Mexico Independent Newspaper

[Guest guest]

I might mention Armando Gutierrez was lobbying for Calorie Control

Council when I testified before the Senate and House in New Mexico on

aspartame. He was not registered and was reported. Of course, his

testimony was more lies trying to convince that the chemical poison

aspartame was safe. Read on.

 

Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum, Founder

Mission Possible Intl

www.mpwhi.com, www.dorway.com and www.wnho.net

Aspartame Toxicity Center, www.holisticmed.com/aspartame

 

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 09:36:37 -0700 (MST)

Calorie Control/Ajinomoto Lobbyist Indicted on 50 Criminal Charges;

2 articles from New Mexico Independent Newspaper

swfoxy

 

 

Trial of Vigil-Giron, others set for July

By Heath Haussamen 12/22/09 6:00 AM The trial of former Secretary of

State Rebecca Vigil-Giron and three others accused of bilking taxpayers

out of millions of dollars has been set for July.

 

The trial is scheduled to begin July 19 at 9 a.m., according to the New

Mexico courts Web site.

Vigil-Giron, lobbyists Joseph Kupfer and Elizabeth Kupfer and media

consultant Armando Gutierrez, who headed the company Vigil-Giron hired to

help the state implement a federal voter education program, each face 50

counts including money laundering, fraud, soliciting or receiving

kickbacks and tax evasion. They allegedly took the money between 2004 and

2006 using the secretary of states contract with Gutierrez by falsifying

invoices.

 

The charges include:

 

Four counts of fraud over $20,000 or, in the alternative, embezzlement

over $20,000.

 

11 counts of money laundering over $100,000.

 

Five counts of money laundering over $20,000.

 

Eight counts of tax fraud.

 

13 counts of tax evasion.

 

Four counts of making or permitting false public vouchers.

 

One count of soliciting or receiving an illegal kickback.

 

One count of offering or paying an illegal kickback.

 

Two counts of tampering with evidence.

 

One count of conspiracy.

 

 

All four defendants have pleaded not guilty.

_____________

 

 

Consultant had state contracts with several agencies

By Trip Jennings 9/22/09 4:09 PM

 

Over the years Armando Gutierrez did marketing and consulting work for

sundry state agencies and public entities across New Mexico.

 

And in 2004 the media consultant made sure to list as many as possible

when bidding for a media consulting contract being let by then-Secretary

of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron, according to a 74-page proposal Gutierrezs

firm (AGA) submitted in response to Vigils request for bids. Gutierrezs

firm, A. Gutierrez & Associates, Inc., won the contract.

The document shows that even then Gutierrez was well known to some in

state government, having done work for at least half a dozen state

agencies.

 

Gutierrez, along with Vigil-Giron and two others, was indicted last month

by the New Mexico Attorney Generals office on 50 criminal charges,

ranging from money laundering to paying a kickback.

 

Gutierrezs attorney has said Gutierrez has done nothing wrong.

 

The proposal Gutierrez submitted in 2004 to win the Secretary of State

work shows that the man and his firm (AGA in the proposal) were a

well-known commodity in some circles of state government.

 

Among those listed as AGA clients was then-Attorney General Patricia

Madrid, which NMIs Heath Haussamen wrote about earlier this month.

 

Then there were the brochures and ads for the University of New Mexico

Hospital, for which Gutierrezs firm won a national marketing honor, he

wrote.

 

Heres an excerpt from Gutierrezs proposal:

 

AGA was contracted by the University of New Mexico Hospital to create

and place media throughout New Mexico advertising to young, pregnant,

Hispanic women the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

 

The agencys ads and a brochure won the coveted Best of Show the

highest of all awards for such work, Gutierrez wrote from the Markie

Awards, a national competition for public service ads conducted by the

United States Department of Health and Human Services.

 

That project required research, Gutierrez continued:

 

This research, which included interviews and focus groups with many such

women, led us to understand that one key to effective communication and

intervention was to not only target the women but also their spouses or

boyfriends. That is, it was doubly difficult for these women to resist the

temptations of alcohol during pregnancy when significant others around

them were imbibing. So the ads and brochure created by AGA included

several targeted not just at these women, but at their partners.

 

These ads and brochures were done in Spanish, English and bilingually as

these fit the linguistic patterns of our target audience. This example

speaks volumes to the kind of work that we do and the sensitivities we

bring to the project.

 

Then there was work for the Department of Health:

 

When the Legislature approved the Salud! Program of Medicaid Managed Care

of New Mexico, AGA was selected as the agency to roll out the public

information campaign educating New Mexicans about the program.

 

Our work involved a radio campaign and brochure in both Spanish and

English answering anticipated questions about the new program. We

conceived the ads, created, produced and placed them. For the brochure, we

designed, wrote the copy, selected the photographs and charts, interpreted

the language into Spanish and supervised printing and distribution.

 

The brochures were sent to public health clinics throughout every corner

of the state. Department of Health officials and public alike praised our

work.

 

In fact, in touting his firm to Vigil-Giron, Gutierrez made sure to show

his firms prowess in dealing with New Mexico state government.

 

Our account services personnel have managed accounts with many state

agencies, including the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General, the New

Mexico Department of Transportation, the New Mexico Department of Tourism,

University of New Mexico Hospital, and the New Mexico Department of

Health. We are knowledgeable of N.M. state rules and regulations and the

requirements in reporting and tracking.

 

The proposal also shows that Gutierrez had done a considerable amount of

work for corporate America in reaching out to Hispanics, including for GMC

Truck; Saturn Automotive; General Motors Credit Card Corporation; and

Columbia TriStar Pictures (home video division).

 

When Gutierrez wasnt producing ads or consulting for governmental or

corporate clients, he made time for public advocacy groups, including

Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

 

Gutierrezs firm was the official Hispanic agency of record between

1994 and 1998, Gutierrez wrote in 2004 to Vigil-Giron. We produced

several public education television ads that were run in states with large

Hispanic populations, including New Mexico, Texas and California.

 

Gutierrez also found time to work for private-sector entities, including

New Mexicos racetracks, according to his proposal.

 

In 2001, AGA was retained through an unprecedented joint effort by New

Mexicos four racetracks to undertake a methodologically sound and

statistically accurate analysis of the impact on the industry of

legislation allowing a limited number of slot machines at the tracks.