Minimum-wage political fight gets uglier

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Albuquerque voters will decide next Tuesday whether to raise the city's minimum wage by a dollar-an-hour to $8.50.

In the meantime, two city councilor's filed ethics complaints against one of the groups supporting the measure.

"This is not citizens of Albuquerque doing this," said Councilor Trudy Jones.  "This is an outside, national organization and, more importantly, they have not registered as we are all forced to do, required to do, when we run for office."

Jones and Councilor Dan Lewis filed complaints with the City Clerk Wednesday against the Washington, D.C.-based group Working America, which is advertising in support of the measure

They claim the group had sent out robocalls and mailers to thousands of Albuquerque residents even though the group didn't file as a committee with the city.

The mailers show people claiming to be New Mexicans holding signs supporting the wage increase.

"Anytime someone is losing an election, they do something like this," said Director Matthew Henderson of OLE, the local group whose petitions placed the question on the ballot.  "Our opposition basically knows, just like the Journal poll shows, that they can't win this election by fighting to stop the minimum wage from increasing."

More online:  Albuquerque Journal poll show voter support for wage increase

Albuquerque's Board of Ethics will review the complaint. They can fine Working America up to $500 per violation, so it is looking at a couple thousand dollars in potential fines.

The city clerk has asked Working America to stop sending mailers while the investigation continues.