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.
Former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., had little to say when asked today about two high-profile federal investigations. One is the ongoing investigation into whether any crimes were committed during the process that led to the 2006 firings of New Mexico’s David Iglesias and several other U.S. attorneys. The other is the probe into allegations of pay to play in the Richardson administration that recently ended with no charges being filed.
Some Republicans have questioned the reasons for the current Justice Department’s closing of the case against Richardson. In the other case, federal investigators have subpoenaed records from Domenici.
I asked Domenici about the investigations during an interview today in Las Cruces.
“I’d rather just say I’m not sufficiently informed,” Domenici said. “One thing that bothers me is they take too long — these processes take too long.”
People close to Richardson made similar complaints about the probe into the governor’s administration, which lasted about a year.
Domenici is one of the people at the center of the probe into the firings of the U.S. attorneys. Former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., and Domenici separately called Iglesias in October 2006 to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation involving a high-ranking Democrat. At the time, Wilson was in a tough re-election battle that she ended up winning by fewer than 1,000 votes out of about 211,000 cast.
Iglesias alleges that Domenici and Wilson pressured him to speed indictments against former state Senate President Manny Aragon and others involved in the case in an attempt to sway voters, a charge both deny. Days after the election, Iglesias was fired.
Earlier this year, a grand jury subpoenaed records from Domenici as part of its investigation, and some say charges against him are possible.
