We called it when we said Nick Wilbur was getting a payoff for writing articles promoting Eddy Aragon’s campaign for Albuquerque mayor.

This past month we wrote an article about the Eddy Aragon fan blog The Conservative New Mexican, and its previously unknown blogger Nicholas “Nick” Wilbur and his wife Nikki Wilbur who work for ADC LTD, a security and investigation firm in Albuquerque. Nikki doesn’t have an education in PR, marketing, journalism or communications and she doesn’t work in political consulting either. But she’s helping Eddy with public relations and media. (*wink, wink*)

For over a week after our story was published, Nick’s blog and accompanying Twitter account were completely silent, with zero activity or public exchanges. Since its creation, this blog that claims to be conservative has written many, many articles about Eddy Aragon. Most Republicans and true conservatives have figured it must have been created to support Eddy Aragon’s mayoral campaign (maybe to replace the Pinon Post which seems to have waned in it’s support for Eddy?). But now we’ve discovered the paper trail!

A recent financial report from Eddy Aragon’s mayoral campaign shows that Eddy paid Nick Wilbur’s wife $1,000 for media/public relations “consulting.” The memo is vague with no address listed and it leads us to believe the money was just a pay-off for the efforts Nick has put into promoting Eddy’s campaign through his blog. But, hey, now that Eddy has paid of Nick’s wife, Nick feels free to blog in support of Eddy again?

Nick had originally told us via Twitter that he barely knew Eddy. Nick claimed he “shook [Eddy’s] hand,” and “met him once for an interview,” but implied that other than that didn’t know Eddy. Well, it looks like his relationship developed quickly into a job for his wife who got paid for “media public relations”– or a payoff for his blog? We will let readers think about it and decide.

On another note, Nick, in his characteristically disrespectful and flippant manner, slams the other Albuquerque mayoral candidate Manny Gonzales as if Gonzales is someone who hasn’t been a public servant most of his life. But in doing so he uses slurs against Manny that, to a more knowledgeable person, are laughable. Gonzales is a Marine. And not only did he serve honorably in the Marine Corps, his father did before.

Nick is basically exposing himself, and the blog The Conservative New Mexican that mocks true conservatism with its name, as never having changed from his progressive values. You’re not a conservative Nick. You’re a progressive rulebreaker just like your mentor, Eddy Aragon.