Dianna Duran pled not guilty to charges of embezzlement and fraud, among others, on Tuesday, according to Yahoo! News.
The New Mexico Secretary of State is accused of funneling campaign funds into her personal accounts, then spending this money at casinos. Duran's Tuesday appearance in court is the first time she has made a public appearance since the charges were brought against her two weeks ago. There are 64 charges listed in the complaint. Neither Duran nor her lawyer stopped to speak with press after appearing in court, Yahoo! News reported.
"She's still the sitting secretary of state...she is presumed innocent. She has not been convicted of any offense," Duran's lawyer Erlinda Johnson said in court.
New Mexico's Legislative Council voted unanimously to approve up to $250,000 to pay for a special committee that will investigate the charges against Duran on Tuesday, according to The New York Times. The committee is expected to have its first meeting before the end of September.
In order to impeach Duran, the State House must pass a majority vote to do so. At this pont, a trial will begin. Two-thirds of the vote will be required to convict her, thus removing her as Secretary of State.
Duran is accused of spending more than $400,000 in campaign funding, according to The Santa Fe Reporter. Media reports say that Duran showed very little emotion during Tuesday's court proceedings. Duran, a Republican, has served two terms as New Mexico's Secretary of State. Duran is not incarcerated currently, but she is not allowed to enter any casinos or leave the state at this time. Her salary is $85,000 annually.
