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.
A letter sent by U.S. Attorney Greg Fouratt to defense attorneys involved in a year-long investigation of Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration has been called “stupid” by Joseph diGenova, a former Republican U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
According to the Associated Press, diGenova thinks the letter is a political act and that the U.S. attorney “who wrote it” should be given the boot.
Fouratt — who is also a Republican — said in the letter that the lack of charges shouldn’t be “interpreted as exoneration” and that the “pressure from the governor’s office resulted in the corruption of the procurement process.”
diGenova says that Fouratt stepped over the line from prosecutor to politician when he wrote the letter:
That letter is an outrage and the U.S. Attorney who wrote it should be fired. The case is closed. If he had charges, bring them. Otherwise, he should shut up. He’s being a politician now, not a prosecutor,” diGenova said.
News came late last week that there would be no grand jury indictments brought against Richardson and others from an investigation into whether CDR Financial Products received lucrative state contracts in exchange for contributions to Richardson political action committees in 2004.
Statements to the press from top Republicans and Democrats leaders as well as those being investigated by the grand jury ensued at rapid fire pace as soon as the news broke that there would be no charges.
While Democrats and the targets of the investigation claimed full vindication, Republicans used details from the letter written by Fouratt to question whether or not the lack of indictments showed politics were at play. Press reports indicate the decision to not bring indictments was made by top prosecutors in Washington.
