IT )S A GHOST STORY OF SORTS. NO, NOT THE HALLOWEEN TYPE. THESE MYSTERIOUS PHANTOMS ARE REAL LIFE, FULL TIME, HIGHLY PAID PUBLIC EMPLOYEES WHO DON )T KEEP REGULAR HOURS AND ONLY OCCASIONALLY SHOW UP AT THE OFFICE. HERES LARRY )S INVESTIGATION, "THE GHOSTS OF SANTA FE." Johnson: "It )s absolutely a problem from our perspective. We call it time card fraud." Archuleta: "The consequences can be serious. It could be suspension leading up to termination." Johnson: "Q. Are they special state employees that they don )t have to come to work every day? A. Short answer to that question is no they )re not special employees." THEY MAY NOT BE SPECIAL BUT THEY SURE ACT THAT WAY. YOU SEE INSIDE THIS SANTA FE OFFICE BUILDING ARE A COUPLE OF GHOSTS: WELL PAID PUBLIC EMPLOYEES WHO ONLY SHOW UP FOR WORK SPORADICALY AND DISAPPEAR FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. WHO ARE THESE GUYS? MEET THE PUBLIC REGULATION COMMISSION EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS. GOVERNED BY FIVE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE PRC IS A FAR REACHING STATE AGENCY THAT OVERSEES EVERYTHING FROM UTILITY RATES TO PIPELINE SAFETY. AMONG THE 129 EMPLOYEES WHO WORK HERE ARE $72,000 A YEAR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS WHO STAFF EACH OF THE COMMISSIONER )S SANTA FE OFFICES. FOR EXAMPLE, MAYBE THERES A PROBLEM WITH YOUR UTILITY BILL SO YOU DECIDE TO GET HELP FROM COMMISSIONER LYNDA LOVEJOY. HER FULL TIME EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT IS ANDRE CORDERO. Barker: "So its Monday morning 11:25. Andre Cordero is a no show. ... And Heather Alvarez, Commissioner Hall )s assistant? Shes a no show too. ... And how about Deborah Bransford, Commissioner Lyons ) assistant? Well the office is dark. Just where is Deborah? Who knows." A YEAR LONG NEWS 13 INVESTIGATION FINDS MOST PRC COMMISSIONERS AND THEIR STAFF ONLY OCCASIONALLY SHOW UP AT THE OFFICE FOR WORK. AND WHILE ELECTED OFFICALS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR TIME, THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS MUST COMPLY WITH PERSONNEL RULES. IN FACT, OUR INVESTIGATION FINDS SOME ASSISTANTS APPEAR TO BE PLAYING HOOKY ON THE TAXPAYER )S DIME. EVEN THOUGH THEIR TIME CARDS REFLECT WORKING HOURS, THE ASSISTANTS ARE OFTEN NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. ERNEST ARCHULETA IS THE PRC )S CHIEF OF STAFF. Archuleta: "Q. As it relates to the Commissioner )s Executive Assistants, what is their normal work schedule? A. Their normal work schedule is ... generally an 8 to 5 schedule Monday through Friday Monday through Friday with an hour lunch. ... Q. If a PRC employee doesn )t come to work but fails to note the absence on their timecard is that a problem? A. That )s a problem." CONSIDER ANDRE CORDERO. Cordero: "Q. There )s been quite a few days where you were you were not here in the office but you reported that on your time card that you were working. So I )m just wondering, you )re not here a lot. So when you )re not here what are you doing? A. Actually I )m here a lot. When I leave the office I might get something to eat and then I come back. But most of the time, my times are consistent. Q. Are you here every day? A. Every day. Q. You )re here every day? A. Every day." HMMM. HE MUST FORGOTTEN ABOUT FRIDAY NOVEMBER 17 TH LAST YEAR. OR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 21ST AND MONDAY NOVEMBER 27. Cordero: "Q. December 11th. ... December 13th. ... December 18th. ... December 19th ... December 22nd. ... those are just the days that we checked. And you weren )t here but your time card indicated that you were. Wonder what happened. Do you have an explanation for that? A. I was here. That )s my job responibility to be in this office." Lovejoy: "Q. We have done some spot checks and found many many days that your assistant was not here in the office yet he indicated on his time card that he was. Are you concerned about André )s attendance here? A. No I )m not. Andre is probably the only assistant who is here. ... My assistant along with other commissioners assistants are exempt. My assistant doesn )t have to be here 8 to 5 Monday through Friday. ... I will just not accept the fact that my assistant is misleading his time." ANDRE CORDERO RESIGNED TWO WEEKS AGO. DEBORAH BRANSFORD WORKS FOR COMMISSIONER PAT LYONS. OUR INVESTIGATION DOCUMENTED NUMEROUS TIME CARD DISCREPANCIES. FOR EXAMPLE BRANSFORD WAS NOT IN THE OFFICE AND DID NOT TAKE LEAVE LAST YEAR ON DECEMBER 13, 18 AND DECEMBER 22ND. SHE WAS ALSO ABSENT IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR ON THE 2ND, THE 6TH, THE 15TH AND FEBRUARY 16. Bransford: "Q. I )m asking about your time. You )re a state employee. You )re obligated 40 hours a week. So when you weren )t here what were you doing? A. Well there )s times that I am working remotely working in other locations. There are times that I )m representing the commissioner at meetings, events, whatever it is that he asked me to do." BRANSFORD SAYS COMMISSIONER LYONS ALLOWS HER TO WORK FROM HOME, OR TELECOMMUTE. Bransford: "I may not always be at my desk but I )m always available. And as you see with two phones here. My phone is attached to my office. I am required to carry this 24/7. I )m on call 24/7 and I am not eligible for overtime. ... I do letters for my from my employer. I do whatever he needs me to do and I check e-mails. I respond to e-mails. I call people I have access to calls at the office. I resolve critical issues complaints." STATE AUDITOR WAYNE JOHNSON SAYS TELECOMMUTING IS PERMITTED ONLY WHEN THE STATE AGENCY HAS A WRITTEN POLICY GOVERNING WORK AT HOME RULES. Johnson: "It )s not the rule here in the state of New Mexico that every employee at the drop of a hat can decide well I )m not going to go into work today I )m going to telecommute." Archuleta: "Q. Does the PRC have a telecommuting policy? ... A. We have not established that kind of a policy. ... Q. So without that policy have you granted any employees permission to work at home? A. I have not. ... It is not permitted because there is no policy at this time." Johnson: "Q. If the PRC doesn )t have a telecommuting policy is that a problem? A. Absolutely its a problem because what the policy helps you do is create an environment of accountability for the employee." COMMISSIONER CYNTHIA HALL )S SANTA FE OFFICE IS ROUTINELY CLOSED. THE COMMISSIONER SAYS HER ASSISTANT ALSO HAS PERMISSION TO WORK AT HOME. OUR SPOT CHECK LAST YEAR DOCUMENTED MORE THAN THREE DOZEN DAYS THAT EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT STEPHANIE DZUR GOT PAID BUT WAS NOT IN THE OFFICE. DZUR RESIGNED EARLIER THIS YEAR. COMMISSIONER HALL SAYS HER NEW ASSISTANT, HEATHER ALVAREZ IS ALSO PERMITTED AT TIMES TO WORK AT HOME. Johnson: "Q. If there are state employees who are playing hooky on the taxpayers dime. What )s your advice? A. My advice to management is to begin to document their absences and if you are a whistleblower within that organization then keep a log of that individual employee )s attendance." LARRY BARKER KRQE NEWS 13. THE P-R-C EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS ARE EXEMPT POLITICAL EMPLOYEES. ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO FOLLOW AN 8-TO-5 SCHEDULE THEY ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM P-R-C EMPLOYEE RULES OR STATE PERSONNEL POLICIES. ADLIB TOSS TO WEATHER .TONIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then
