Despite Red Flags, G.O.P. Backed Candidate Now Charged in Shootings - The New York Times

ALBUQUERQUE — The erstwhile Republican campaigner accused of targeting the homes of Democrats successful drive-by shootings had routinely called for locking up 2020 predetermination officials successful Guantánamo Bay. He promoted conspiracy theories astir star power, feminism and “the demonic theories of the Globalist Elites.” He had been demoted doubly by the U.S. Navy and served astir 7 years successful situation for burglary.

Yet almighty enactment leaders successful New Mexico not lone gave the first-time candidate, Solomon Peña, 39, full-throated endorsements, they besides opened their checkbooks to money his contention for a authorities legislative spot successful cardinal Albuquerque agelong held by Democrats. Some knew astir his situation grounds but said they felt that helium had turned his beingness around. Local and authorities authorities present accidental they are investigating whether cause wealth helped money his campaign.

“He came crossed to maine arsenic a precise respectful, thoughtful young man,” said Harvey Yates, an oilman and erstwhile president of the New Mexico Republican Party, who donated $5,000 to Mr. Peña’s predetermination effort. Now, Mr. Yates acknowledges that helium whitethorn person made a mistake. He said that helium felt “very bad, precise sad” for Mr. Peña, “who I deliberation truly had possibilities.”

The constabulary accidental that aft losing his contention by a landslide successful November — helium received 26 percent of the vote — and refusing to concede, Mr. Peña organized shootings astatine the homes of salient Democrats, including 2 who certified the predetermination results. The attacks came astatine a clip of increasing fears crossed the state astir a inclination of governmental violence, mostly from the close wing, including the attack connected the hubby of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a conspiracy to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and the mob onslaught connected the U.S. Capitol connected Jan. 6, 2021.

In New Mexico, the lawsuit besides highlights the interior struggles among Republicans arsenic predetermination deniers similar Mr. Peña — who was successful the assemblage for President Donald J. Trump’s code successful Washington connected Jan. 6, according to videos collected by online sleuths — capable the ranks of candidates seeking elected office. Other Republicans specified arsenic Audrey Trujillo, who ran for caput of state, embraced conspiracy theories astir elections, schoolhouse shootings and Covid-19 vaccines.

Many of those predetermination deniers mislaid successful New Mexico, mirroring akin Republican setbacks successful different parts of the country. The results helped the state’s Democrats solidify their power of some houses successful the authorities Legislature, the governor’s bureau and the full legislature delegation, sparking recriminations implicit the Republicans’ nonaccomplishment of power.

Michael Candelaria, a salient authorities Republican who until precocious was the enactment president successful Valencia County, adjacent Albuquerque, said the Peña lawsuit laid bare a dilemma successful a authorities wherever Democrats person steadily expanded their sway successful caller years: however to entreaty to immoderate of Mr. Trump’s astir ardent supporters, who refused to judge his 2020 re-election defeat, without alienating different voters who cull the lies and conspiracy theories.

“You don’t instrumentality a radical of radical whose enactment you privation and archer them, ‘You’re a clump of crazies,’” Mr. Candelaria said. “You’re going to person immoderate extremists that you person to fig retired however to support their support.”

But Mr. Candelaria, who has pushed for enactment changes successful the authorities party, said that Mr. Peña’s apprehension showed the risks of promoting specified figures. “Had we done immoderate bully vetting, we could person picked isolated this guy, but no, we don’t bash a bully occupation of picking candidates,” helium said.

It was unclear however overmuch Republican leaders had examined Mr. Peña’s background. Steve Pearce, a erstwhile subordinate of Congress who is present president of the New Mexico Republican Party, did not respond to requests for comment.

Some Republicans are present bracing for much revelations astir Mr. Peña, who was arrested connected Monday and charged with transgression solicitation, attempted aggravated battery, shooting astatine an occupied dwelling, shooting from a moving conveyance and conspiracy. The constabulary called him the “mastermind” down a conspiracy successful which 4 different men were paid to sprout astatine the homes of 2 region commissioners and 2 authorities legislators, and said that helium personally participated successful astatine slightest 1 of the shootings.

As portion of their investigation, Albuquerque constabulary detectives said they were besides examining whether Mr. Peña utilized proceeds from narcotics trafficking to concern his campaign, and whether run laws were violated. The New Mexico lawyer general’s bureau volition pb the probe into Mr. Peña’s run finances, a spokeswoman for the bureau said connected Friday.

The crook successful the probe came aft detectives learned done witnesser interviews that Mr. Peña had identified individuals to funnel contributions from an chartless root into his campaign, according to Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesperson for the department. Investigators said they are focusing connected José Trujillo, who is besides accused successful the shootings, and Mr. Trujillo’s mother, Melanie Griego, who are listed arsenic donating a full of $9,150 to Mr. Peña’s campaign.

Police arrested Mr. Trujillo connected Jan. 3, soon aft the shooting targeting the Albuquerque location of Linda Lopez, a authorities senator. In the car that Mr. Trujillo was driving, which the constabulary accidental is owned by Mr. Peña, investigators accidental they recovered 893 fentanyl pills and $3,036 successful cash, arsenic good arsenic a firearm matching ammunition casings recovered astatine Ms. Lopez’s home.

Mr. Peña made his archetypal tribunal quality connected Wednesday and did not participate a plea. Roberta Yurcic, a lawyer representing him, said she couldn’t remark connected circumstantial aspects of her client’s background, including his subject demotions and enactment history. “The probe into the charges against my lawsuit is ongoing,” she added. “Mr. Peña has a close to a just trial.”

Javier Martinez, a Democrat whose location was targeted successful the attacks aft the November election, said that helium had “never experienced thing similar this before.” Mr. Martinez, who took implicit this period arsenic New Mexico’s talker of the House, tied Mr. Peña’s extremism to the predetermination lies voiced by Mr. Trump.

“The erstwhile president, I think, truly exploited immoderate of those feelings,” Mr. Martinez said. “And we’ve seen it play retired successful antithetic ways, including the insurrection successful Washington, D.C., including this acceptable of events present successful our ain backyard.”

Mr. Peña presented himself arsenic idiosyncratic connected the mend, starring groups successful supplication astatine governmental meetings and telling neighbors that helium did not portion oregon instrumentality drugs. But helium made small effort to fell his utmost views. His run website denounced “the demonic theories of the Globalist Elites and their overseas counterparts,” called feminism “demonicism,” and said the 2020 predetermination had been rigged against Mr. Trump by “enemy combatants” who “must beryllium placed successful Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for the remainder of their earthy lives.”

During his campaign, Mr. Peña highlighted his clip arsenic a Navy infirmary corpsman assigned to a Marine part successful Okinawa, Japan. But promotion information provided by the U.S. Navy’s nationalist affairs bureau shows that Mr. Peña hardly served with distinction. He was demoted doubly during his 4 years successful the work and near the subject successful 2004 astatine the lowest imaginable rank. The Navy was incapable to supply the reasons for Mr. Peña’s demotions.

Mr. Peña ran connected a level of cracking down connected crime, contempt his ain transgression history. He served astir 7 years successful situation successful New Mexico connected charges including burglary and larceny aft being portion of a “smash-and-grab” unit that slammed vehicles into retail stores, including a Kmart successful Albuquerque, past stole items, according to tribunal records.

After being released from situation successful 2016, Mr. Peña tried selling cars astatine a dealership successful Albuquerque but lasted little than a period earlier helium was fired for showing up late, tribunal records from a suit filed by Mr. Peña successful 2017 show. (The lawsuit was dismissed.) Mr. Peña besides enrolled astatine the University of New Mexico, obtaining a governmental subject grade successful 2021, the aforesaid twelvemonth that his voting rights were restored aft his situation term.

Mr. Peña appears to person tally for the Republican information for the authorities legislative spot unopposed. In October, helium received an endorsement from the Republican National Hispanic Assembly’s New Mexico chapter. Ronnie Lucero, the president of some the group’s nationalist enactment and the authorities chapter, said that helium had spoken with Mr. Peña astatine events during the campaign, and that the campaigner had filled retired a questionnaire asking astir his professional, fiscal and transgression past earlier the radical endorsed him.

The radical did not spot Mr. Peña’s transgression grounds arsenic disqualifying, Mr. Lucero said, adding: “At the clip that we made the endorsement, determination was the content that he’d got his beingness unneurotic and he’s 1 of those second-chance stories that would crook retired to beryllium thing bully and affirmative for the community.

“It was a atrocious determination that we made, and regretfully,” helium said. “But we can’t work the future.”

When asked astir immoderate of the extremist rhetoric connected Mr. Peña’s run website, Mr. Lucero said that helium had not seen the statements — though they were published earlier the endorsement, according to the Internet Archive — and that they would person fixed him intermission if helium had.

Some Republican officials defended the evident deficiency of vetting earlier the enactment constitution enactment its enactment down Mr. Peña, which included defending him erstwhile his hostile sought to person him disqualified from the contention because of his transgression record, which could perchance person prohibited him from taking office.

“The Republican Party did not enlistee him,” said Representative Bill Rehm, a Republican authorities legislator from Albuquerque, adding that helium did not deliberation the enactment constitution should vet candidates. “He, similar anyone else, tin motion up to tally for immoderate office.”

John Ismay and Julia Goldberg contributed reporting. Alain Delaquérière and Kirsten Noyes contributed research.