Is Governor MLG Traveling to Ireland? Why is Oil Corp Run by Republican State Rep Being Billed $30,000 for Expenses?

Looks Like New Mexico’s Democratic Governor and her Deputy Chief of Staff are Packing Their Bags and Flying to Ireland on Another Trade Mission – And, Interestingly, $30,000 of the Expenses Appear to be Footed by a Company Run by a Republican State Representative.

Since becoming New Mexico Governor in 2019, Michelle Lujan Grisham has been quite an international jet-setter, flying to venues across the continents of Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, as well as visiting the Indian Subcontinent, and the geographic region known as Australasia.

Some of her destinations: the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, multiple visits to Japan, Mexico, Scotland, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Dubai, Brazil, India, (and even a weekend side trip to New Zealand to visit U.S. Ambassador Tom Udall before she and frequent traveling companion, Deputy Chief of Operations Caroline Buerkle, and Oil and Gas industry guru Jason Sandel headed back to New Mexico after an extended visit to Australia).

And with just a little more than four months left in her term of office, it looks like the Governor and her Deputy Chief have made plans for another overseas trip.

The apparent travel plans fly in the face of several state scandals involving agencies addressing protections and care for children and developmentally disabled residents of New Mexico – the nexus of which will be part of reporting tomorrow.

The Governor’s communications folks have invoked “radio silence” to questions from The Candle regarding a planned trip to Ireland, records received via an Inspection of Public Records Act Request reveal a New Mexico petroleum company was invoiced on June 15, 2026, by a quasi-state agency to the tune of $30,000 for a “State of New Mexico Governor’s Ireland Trade Delegation Sponsorship.”

Additional records show agency Credit Card Charges, dated June 18, 2026, for American Airlines flights to Dublin for “Governor MLG” and Caroline Buerkle.

Roswell area’s Republican State Representative Mark Murphy, according to his 2026 financial disclosure filing with the Secretary of State, is the President of Murphy Petroleum Corp, which is the company addressed in the invoice by the New Mexico Partnership.

The “Partnership” is a quasi-state entity established by statute in 2003, and has received state budget appropriations in excess of $11 million since Lujan Grisham has been Governor.

The Partnership is frequently cited by the Governor’s communications team as a significant source of the funding for the Governor’s international and U.S. out of state travel for various trade and organizational gatherings.

However, recently released records from an Inspection of Public Records Act request made to the Partnership, reveal several trade and special interest organizations and companies have also been invoiced over recent years by the Partnership for the Governor’s expenses in traveling and some other related expenses – as well as similar expenses of Deputy Buerkle and other state officials such as Economic Development Secretary Rob Black.

The Candle emailed Representative Murphy questions about the $30,000 invoice, including asking him if the company paid it and if he was approached by anyone in the Governor’s Office or any other state employee seeking the financial sponsorship of Murphy Petroleum Corp.

The Governor’s communications team was also emailed questions on Saturday morning seeking a response about what appears to be a planned trip to Ireland, the Partnership invoice to Murphy Petroleum Corp, and an “Account QuickReport” ledger-type listing of credit card charges to the Partnership for the air fare for the Governor and Ms. Buerkle.

As of Monday evening, the Governor’s office and the Representative have not responded.

More reporting on other special interests underwriting the international and state-side (out of state of New Mexico) travel and related expenses of the Governor and her typical entourage will be published later in the week – with copies of documents.

Copy of the NM Partnership Invoice to Murphy Petroleum Corp for “State of New Mexico Governor’s Ireland Trade Delegation Sponsorship.”