Alamogordo NM
9-28-2025 6:05pm

Beyond the Shifty 50: The Real Syndicate Controlling Alamogordo’s Narrative—and Its War on Independent Media

Beyond the Shifty 50: The Real Syndicate Controlling Alamogordo’s Narrative—and Its War on Independent Media - NewMexicoConservativeNews.com

Alamogordo, NM — While local critics often invoke the “Shifty 50”—a loosely defined group of civic insiders accused of favoritism and backroom deals—the true power shaping Alamogordo’s public discourse operates with far more precision, reach, and strategic intent. This Alamogordo Syndicate, anchored by oil executive Harvey E. Yates Jr., political operative Rocky Galacinni, and their media-political allies, controls not just influence—but the very narrative itself. And within its reach individuals it has backed and supported actively work to silence dissent.

The Yates Media Machine

In 2024, Yates led the acquisition of the Alamogordo Daily News through El Rito Media LLC, adding it to a portfolio that includes the Carlsbad Current-Argus, Ruidoso News, Artesia Daily Press, and Rio Grande Sun. While marketed as a revival of community journalism, the editorial tone quickly shifted toward the Trumpian ideology of conservative themes, often avoiding scrutiny of local power brokers.

Yates, a former Republican National Committeeman, appointed Richard L. Connor as editor and Frank Leto as Chief Revenue Officer. Their leadership was championed to highlight local coverage—but critics argue it’s filtered through a lens of political loyalty and strategic omission. To date since acquisition, there have been no significant investigative reporting by the Alamogordo Daily News into the controversial drops in Alamogordo Educational rankings, into controversies around county government budgets and oversight concerns, or issues within the county treasurer's office. There have been no orchestrated in-depth analysis of controversies around the Otero County Sheriff's department and its handling of the Elijah Hadley scandal or other matters that may potentially impact local taxpayers. 

The Gallacini Legacy and Electoral Controversy

The Gallacini family’s influence runs deep. Rocky Galacinni, a longtime conservative organizer appointed to party leadership by Yates, has shaped Otero County’s political terrain for decades. Her husband, Gene C. Galacinni, served as a magistrate judge until he was removed from the bench or retired under scrutiny due to allegations in 2016 of judicial misconduct.

Their daughter, Anissa Galacinni Ford-Tinnin, has been tied to two major political scandals:

 In 2013, she was implicated in the hijacking of Governor Susana Martinez’s campaign emails. The FBI searched her home after she received emails from Democratic consultant Jason Loera, who was later linked to the theft A. Martinez told investigators Ford had left her campaign under “unfavorable circumstances” and may have had motive to intercept communications. Ford was later named in a civil lawsuit alleging conspiracy B C.

 In 2020, Ford-Tinnin reemerged as one of New Mexico’s “fake electors”, signing a certificate falsely declaring Donald Trump the winner of the state’s electoral votes. She substituted for Harvey Yates Jr., who was out of state, symbolizing a strategic handoff between statewide Republican power and local operatives.

Block, Barela, and the Echo Chamber

This syndicate has helped elevate figures like:

Rep. John Block, whose Piñon Post blog pushes far-right narratives and defends election fraud claims. Block benefits from a media environment that amplifies his messaging while shielding him from accountability.

Otero County Commissioner, and State  Republican Chairwoman, Amy Barela, whose rise has been backed by the operatives and who has supported partisan election audits. Her public image has been bolstered by selective local coverage and political insulation.

Together, they operate within a media-political echo chamber, shaped by Yates’s financial leverage and the Gallacini family’s strategic placement and influence. 

Attempts to Silence Independent Media

As 2nd Life Media, KALH Radio, and Alamogordo Town News have grown in reach and influence, they’ve faced coordinated attempts to marginalize and silence them:

Political pressure: Local officials such as Barela and orhers have refused to acknowledge or respond to investigative inquiries from Anthony Lucero for the AlamogordoTownNews.org streaming edition on KALHRadio.org, while favoring El Rito-owned outlets for press releases and public statements. 

Advertising blackouts: the Tularosa school superintendent sent letters to businesses encouraging them to pull advertising from KALH Radio and Alamogordo Town News, despite their status as the region’s most-read and most-listened-to independent platforms, due to coverage raising questions of ethics and good governance. An Alamogordo politician attempted to pressure an employer to fire a 2nd Life Media journalist in an attempt to silence him. 

Public discrediting: Figures such as John Block and others aligned with the syndicate have attempted to label 2nd Life Media as “biased” or “unprofessional,” despite its membership in the Online News Association, Local News Consortium, and Local Independent Online News Association. 

These tactics reflect a broader strategy: control the narrative by controlling access, visibility, and legitimacy.

2nd Life Media: The Disruptor

In this tightly controlled ecosystem, 2nd Life Media stands apart. Independent, locally rooted, and unafraid to challenge power, it offers investigative reporting, civic accountability, and multimedia storytelling that exposes the fractures beneath Alamogordo’s polished surface.

Its affiliated platforms—KALHRadio.org, AlamogordoTownNews.org, and NewMexico ConservativeNews.com- operate without billianare corporate backing or partisan financiers. Their coverage of election integrity, legislative developments, and behind-the-scenes power plays has become a thorn in the side of the establishment.

Alamogordo at a Crossroads

While the “Shifty 50” may be a convenient scapegoat, the Alamogordo Syndicate which consists of additional players than those outlined above, is the real machinery—blending media ownership, political legacy, and strategic amplification. As El Rito Media expands its footprint and the Gallacini-Yates-Others alliance deepens, Alamogordo faces a choice:

• Will media serve the public or protect the powerful?

• Can independent journalism survive in a landscape shaped by loyalty and leverage?

• Will voters demand transparency—or settle for curated narratives?

In this climate, 2nd Life Media doesn’t just report the news—it challenges the system, offering a platform for voices long excluded and stories long buried. 

This consolidation of media and political influence doesn’t just shape headlines—it suppresses civic participation and distorts the democratic process. Alamogordo’s local Democratic Party and independent political voices remain fragmented, underfunded, and largely absent from sustained organizing, leaving a vacuum easily filled by entrenched conservative operatives. The Alamogordo Syndicate—anchored by Harvey Yates Jr.’s media empire, the Gallacini family’s legacy network, and amplified by figures like John Block and Amy Barela—leverages this imbalance to dominate candidate pipelines, control public messaging, and steer business development toward politically aligned interests. 

Economic opportunities, civic appointments, and even access to public platforms are often filtered through loyalty to this power base. As a result, voter turnout stagnates, dissenting voices are sidelined, and the promise of representative democracy in Alamogordo remains tightly managed by a few well-connected hands.

Sources:

About 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News

 Courthouse News – Dirty Politics Alleged in New Mexico

 Scribd – Email Suit Document

New Mexico Judicial Standards Commission – Gene C. Galacinni Removal

https://nmdoj.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FE-Final-Report.pdf

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