SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Officials with the New Mexico Tourism Department say the state spent $40,000 to sponsor the wrong film festival in Santa Fe.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports (http://bit.ly/2guvU5v ) that state officials say the accidentally gave the funds to the Santa Fe Film Festival in 2015 instead of the similarly named Santa Fe Independent Film Festival.
The Tourism Department also paid the Independent Film Festival $40,000.
Santa Fe Film Festival chairman Omar Hamid says the group spent the money on the festival's expenses and therefore cannot give it back.
State officials say the money went to the wrong film festival because of a clerical error.