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Copyright © 2015 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE – It appears that embattled Secretary of State Dianna Duran has no plans to resign anytime soon.

In a Thursday interview outside her office near the state Capitol – one of the first she has given since criminal charges were filed against her last month – Duran said, “I am here to do the job I was elected to do” when asked if she intends to step down.

She said she plans to show up for her $85,000-a-year job as much as possible in the coming days and weeks, even as the criminal case against her moves forward.

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“I want the people of the state of the New Mexico to know that I was elected to a job, I intend to do my job and whether I am physically (in the office) or not, I am in daily contact with my leadership team,” said Duran, who is facing pressure from lawmakers and others to step down.

Duran pleaded not guilty last week to charges of fraud, embezzlement, money laundering and other crimes in connection with allegations that she used campaign contributions to cover personal spending at casinos.

The charges were filed Aug. 28 in District Court by Attorney General Hector Balderas’ office.

During Thursday’s brief interview, Duran, a Republican, acknowledged that she has spent a limited amount of time at work since the charges were filed, but said she has been in “constant communication” with top-ranking staffers in her office.

“We have been able to continue doing the great job that this office has done since 2011,” Duran told the Journal. “I’ve been a part of that and I’ll continue to be a part of that.”

But she remained tight-lipped on the allegations. She declined to answer questions about the court case and whether she is seeking help for possible gambling-related problems, saying she has been instructed not to discuss or comment on anything related to the allegations against her.

She also did not directly answer a question about whether the criminal charges would be a distraction in the Secretary of State’s Office and said she has not been in contact with Gov. Susana Martinez since the charges were filed.

Duran was charged with 64 violations by the Attorney General’s Office. Although the amounts withdrawn at eight casinos run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the counts against her revolve around 19 transactions totaling about $13,000.

The case against Duran has prompted calls for more oversight of the state’s campaign finance system and the campaign filings of several state lawmakers – both Democrats and Republicans – have come under scrutiny since the charges were filed.

The secretary of state is in charge of enforcing New Mexico’s campaign laws and overseeing elections, and Duran said ethics bureau staffers in her office have been discussing campaign finance issues and possible improvements to the current system.

However, she also said it’s up to the Legislature to decide whether changes are needed to the state Campaign Reporting Act.

The secretary of state has proposed rules that would clarify what types of campaign expenditures are not allowable under state law, but a public hearing on the rule-making was postponed last month. It has been rescheduled for Oct. 23, Duran’s chief of staff confirmed.

Meanwhile, a special legislative committee tasked with investigating the charges against Duran and weighing possible impeachment is scheduled to hold its first meeting next week.

Duran is a Tularosa native and former state senator. She was elected secretary of state in 2010 after vowing to restore public trust in the office and was re-elected last year with roughly 52 percent of the votes cast in the statewide race.