ESTRANGED SPOUSE WANTS PUBLIC PAYOUT.

Byline: PHAEDRA HAYWOOD

An Espanola man claims his family is entitled to millions of dollars because Santa Fe County Commissioner Michael Anaya engaged in "illicit sexual conduct against my wife" that destroyed their marriage.

Michael Archuleta made the allegations in legal notices to the Santa Fe County clerk and the New Mexico Association of Counties, a publicly funded organization where Archuleta's wife is an executive liaison for executive director Paul Gutierrez.

Anaya completed an 18-month term as the association's president in January and has served in several capacities on the New Mexico Association of Counties' executive board.

Steve Kopelman, attorney for the association, confirmed Thursday that Anaya recently resigned from the association's board but said he hadn't seen a resignation letter and didn't know why Anaya resigned.

Kopelman, a former attorney for Santa Fe County government, said he couldn't comment further on the matter. "I'm not really in a position to discuss any pending or possible litigation or personnel matters," Kopelman said.

Neither Archuleta's wife, Renee Baker-Archuleta, nor Gutierrez answered their phones Thursday at the association offices in Santa Fe.

Reached on his cell phone, Anaya confirmed Thursday that allegations have been made against him which prompted an investigation by the New Mexico Association of Counties. However, he said he didn't know the exact nature of the allegations.

"I think that there have been some accusations of a husband that has filed something," Anaya said. "But I'm in full cooperation with what the investigation is going through."

Asked if he had a relationship with Baker-Archuleta, the commissioner said he could not comment because of the ongoing investigation. Anaya referred questions to his attorney, Nancy Long, who did not return calls Thursday.

When reached Thursday, Anaya said he was aboard a plane that was about to take off for Nashville, Tenn., where he is attending the annual conference of the National Association of Counties.

Santa Fe County spokesman Stephen Ulibarri said Anaya, who is more than halfway through his second four-year term as a county commissioner, serves on a National Association of Counties board, but Ulibarri didn't know in what capacity.

Ulibarri said Santa Fe County is paying about $1,800 for Anaya to attend the five-day conference so he can network with officials from other counties and learn about "best practices."

Although documents show that the tort claim notice was filed with the County Clerk's Office on April 16, Ulibarri said Santa Fe County officials had no knowledge of the nature of the allegations against Anaya and had only heard rumors.

Ulibarri said he felt it wasn't appropriate for him to comment on the matter because the allegations were made against "Mike Anaya the man" and didn't involve the county.

But Archuleta's tort claim notice specifically accuses Santa Fe County of "acquiescing Michael Dale Anaya's three year systematic pattern of deliberate indifference, willful, intentional, reckless deceit, abuse of powers, hindering, thwarting conduct."

"At no time during the three years," the claim reads, "did NMAC nor the County of

Santa Fe address Mr. Anaya's conduct ..."

County Clerk Valerie Espinoza, who also was in Nashville on Thursday to attend the conference, said she had no knowledge of the matter.

"I'm unfamiliar with what you are talking about," Espinoza said when reached by phone.

Later in the day, a member of her staff produced the tort claim notice in response to a request from The New Mexican.

County Attorney Stephen Ross did not return a call seeking comment for this story.

A male who answered the phone at the Archuleta residence in Espanola on Thursday said neither Michael Archuleta nor Renee Baker-Archuleta were there. Neither of the Archuletas returned a message left seeking comment.

In his tort claim notice, Archuleta alleges that Anaya's conduct toward his wife of

28 years destroyed the couple's marriage and caused "substantial harm as to the 'best interest' of my minor son."

Archuleta's notice refers to "Anaya's continuing arrogant and blatant disregard for the New Mexico taxpayers wherein he uses their tax dollars to pay for his illicit sexual conduct," and estimates the value of the claim to his family is $10 million.

Contact Phaedra Haywood at 986-3068 or [e-mail].