Mayor and possible convict David Salinas.

Are you tired of plain old politics?  Did Super Tuesday get you down?  Well, here’s a sordid little tale that just might be enough to pique your interests.  Daniel Salinas won election for mayor of Sunland Park, New Mexico with a vote total of 639 to 556 for his opposition Gerardo Hernandez, yet Mayor Salinas isn’t allowed in city hall.  Why is that?  Mayor Daniel Salinas was banned from city hall as a result of  an ongoing investigation over extortion, blackmail, conspiracy to commit extortion, and tampering with evidence.  Apparently, Mayor Salinas tried to blackmail Mr. Hernandez with footage of Hernandez getting a lap dance from a topless stripper.  Silvio Berlusconi, eat your heart out!

The arrest was made in late February, with Salinas facing felony extortion charges and being released on a $50,000 bond.  Among the conditions of his release was that he not enter city hall or have no contact with city workers.  Yet somehow, his name remained on the ballot for mayor and he won in spite of his potential felony conviction (which would ban him from public office).  Also arrested with Salinas was city manager Jaime Aguilera, who was apparently Salinas’s wingman in the whole plot.

Blackmail is bad, but at least he didn’t steal from Little Leaguers.  Maybe he can pardon himself, assuming his attorneys can get his city hall ban overturned?  Assuming he doesn’t get convicted and find himself forced from office, of course.

Tags: Sunland Park, New Mexico, mayor banned from city hall, Sunland Park mayor banned from city hall, Daniel Salinas, Gerardo Hernandez, Jaime Aguilera, mayor under investigation for blackmail, mayor blackmails opposition candidate, mayor uses strippers to blackmail opponent, unusual crimes, politics, unusual arrests, law and order

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