City Council President Dan Lewis Refers Misuse of ARPA Funds to United States Attorney

Today, City Council President Dan Lewis sent a letter to United States Attorney Alexander Uballez, notifying his office of discrepancies found by the City of Albuquerque Inspector General related to the misuse of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Child Care Stabilization Fund grant money.

“My office is referring this investigation to the U.S. Attorney due to allegations of federal crimes involving the abuse, misuse, and theft of federal funds allocated to high-ranking members of the Keller administration. These funds, approved by the Council, were intended exclusively for early childhood programs as outlined in the grant's description. However, they appear to have been unlawfully redirected as cash bonuses for the Mayor's staff," said Dan Lewis, President, Albuquerque City Council.

Councilor Lewis asks U.S. Attorney Uballez to promptly open an investigation into the matter to determine whether there was any malfeasance by City employees and assure the public that their tax dollars are used appropriately.