Former Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block, Sr. on Thursday lashed out at Attorney General Gary King, who is prosecuting Block and his son — current PRC member Jerome Block, Jr. — on election-related charges.

Block made his remarks in a telephone interview following a golf tournament at Towa Golf Resort organized to raise funds for the senior Block's defense.

Some of the people who took part in the tournament, Block said, were acquaintances who think King is "abusing power" by "using state funds for political purposes."

Block also said it's not fair that the case against him and his son has received more media attention than a controversy involving King and campaign contributions from a Texas law firm that's done business for the state.

"I guess it's all OK as long as Gary King gets his fill of campaign contributions," Block said.

King earlier this year was criticized by The Wall Street Journal for accepting $50,000 in contributions from the Williams-Bailey law firm of Houston. The firm's founder, Kenneth Bailey, is suing Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, on behalf of New Mexico and several other states. The suit involves an anti-psychotic drug called Risperdal and contends the company hid dangerous side effects of the drug and wrongly marketed it to elderly people and children.

King couldn't be reached for comment Thursday night. But earlier this year, he said that while he did take money from the Williams-Bailey firm in his 2006 campaign, Bailey himself was not part of that firm when the contribution was made. The firm representing New Mexico is Bailey, Perrin, Bailey, which was started in 2005.

"Neither this firm nor Mr. Bailey have ever contributed to my campaign for AG," King said in May.

The state originally joined the class-action suit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals in 2006, when Patricia Madrid was attorney general. Bailey's contract was extended last year without going through a bid process, though King said there had been a competitive bidding process in 2005 for the Janssen case.

Bailey caused controversy in Pennsylvania, another state suing Janssen. Gov. Ed Rendell has been criticized for taking large campaign contributions and free jet rides from Bailey. Soon after making those contributions, Bailey signed a sole-source, contingency-fee contract with the state through Rendell's office to sue Janssen. This was after the Pennsylvania attorney general had refused to take the case.

Block said about 50 people attended his fundraiser. He said he didn't know how much money was raised.

The event was organized by Maurice Bonal, a former city councilor, a lobbyist and head of the city's 400th Anniversary Committee. Bonal couldn't be reached for comment Thursday night.

Charges against the junior Block include two counts of embezzlement over $500. Charges against both men include election-code violations, conspiracy to commit a violation of the elections code, tampering with evidence and conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence.

During the campaign, for which Block Jr. got more than $101,000 in taxpayer money to run for office, Block Jr. admitted to lying about a $2,500 expenditure. He said at first that he gave the $2,500 in public funds to San Miguel County Clerk Paul Maez's band, Wyld Country, to perform at a May rally. But he later changed his story after two band members said no such performance occurred. In an e-mail exchange with a Las Vegas Optic reporter he admitted lying.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog at roundhouseroundup.com.