Weh stacking the deck

There are some preliminary bouts before the primary election; the ward meetings to select pre-primary convention delegates, the pre-primary convention, and the various public forums, in particular those where any kind of straw vote it taken.

In theory, "the people" are equally and fairly represented
in the ring for each bout. In truth they are not.

Success in these bouts depends on who shows up. And,
"who shows up" is subject to manipulation. It can be bought.

The ward meetings bout is won by the person who gets the most people to show up at the meeting. If you pay people to show up, more people show up.

It is against the law to pay delegates to attend,
but not against the law to pay their registration fee.

I would argue, that is a distinction with negligible difference.

Allen Weh paid some registration fees for people to show up at the ward meetings where delegates were elected.

It was in fact during a fight over these delegates, that Weh was alleged to have physically attacked a NM Republican Party staff member, link.

The winner of the ward meetings bout sends more delegates
to the pre party convention, enabling a win there as well.
If candidates are willing also to pay the registration fee for
convention delegates, that would be a further paid incentive
for supporters to participate.

Some of the public forums, where straw polls are taken,
charge admission. If a candidate pays the admission,
a further skewing of results is bought;

"... we don’t want to have to cover the cost ..."link.

Now I know, that this "is how it's done" in New Mexico, and
that Col Allen Weh has not broken "the law".

It is not against the law to buy an election. Why else would
people solicit millions of dollars to do it?

But there are higher standards of conduct than the law;
the law in fact, is the lowest standard of conduct that is
acceptable among civilized people.

At least one of those higher standards of conduct prohibits
buying elections.