I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
The State Investment Council on Friday denied a request by the Independent to obtain a copy of a subpoena it had received from a federal grand jury.
The denial is “founded on the well settled public policy, statutory and case law that freedom of information laws should not inhibit law enforcement proceedings,” Charles Wollman, spokesman for the State Investment Council, wrote in letter denying the request.
The New Mexico Educational Retirement Board, meanwhile in a separate letter, rejected a request from the Independent on Friday to get a copy of any subpoenas sent to the agency from the federal grand jury in Albuquerque. The Educational Retirement Board has received two subpoenas from the federal grand jury.
Both agencies cited a fear of disrupting grand jury proceedings as a reason for not releasing the subpoenas to the public.
Both the Educational Retirement Board and State Investment Council have found themselves pulled into a widening scandal that began in New York with a criminal probe. So far two people involved in New Mexico investments over the years have pleaded guilty or been indicted on corruption charges in the New York probe.
“This office is cooperating fully with the Federal grand jury investigation and is honoring the general secrecy of grand juries pursuant to federal rules and will not interfere in this or any investigation,” Wollman of the SIC wrote in the letter.
