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The New Mexico Independent going forward

By | 11.16.11

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…

EIB hears more anti-cap-and-trade testimony

Mesa Verde 80
By | 11.10.11

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…

New Mexico’s largest university low in popularity

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By | 11.10.11

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.

Posts Tagged Attorney General Gary King

State Capitol Building (Photo by Richie Diesterheft)

Governor and AG test the limits of campaign contributions limits law

By | 10.13.11 | 2:44 pm

New Mexico’s attorney general Gary King, a democrat previously linked to pay-to-play scandals, told reporters yesterday that it was entirely legal to accept a $15,000 political contribution from the New York City law firm of Bernstein Litowitz Berger and Grossman LLP last month — despite the nine-month-old campaign contribution limits law he championed less than a year ago.

King attempted cover up of allegations against Herrera, attorney says

By | 08.27.10 | 4:00 am

Attorney General Gary King attempted to cover up allegations of wrongdoing by Secretary of State Mary Herrera to protect Democrats during an election year, an Española attorney charged Thursday. A spokesman for King said the charges amount to election-year mudslinging and are a product of the attorney’s imagination.

NM Supreme Court rules state may continue work on greenhouse gas emissions cap

By | 06.07.10 | 5:09 pm

The state Environmental Improvement Board can resume its consideration of state regulations to cap greenhouse gas emissions, The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled Monday.

State Investment Council decides to go after lost money

By | 05.26.10 | 9:11 am

After months in the hot seat, including being the focus of two federal probes, the State Investment Council decided Tuesday to go after tens of millions of taxpayer dollars lost to potential fraud. A request for proposals (RFP) will be sent out next month with the goal of hiring a firm by mid-September to lead the agency’s effort to recover lost taxpayer money, State Investment Officer Steven Moise said Tuesday.

Attorney General seeks Supreme Court’s removal of Carol Sloan from PRC

By | 05.20.10 | 5:17 pm

Attorney General Gary King petitioned the New Mexico Supreme Court to remove Carol Sloan from the state Public Regulation Commission (PRC), just hours after Sloan was sentenced to supervised probation and a suspended sentence of five years.

AG King asks U.S. Senate to help Mexico fight border violence, human trafficking

By | 05.18.10 | 10:02 am

The U.S. must do more to help fund law enforcement efforts on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border, New Mexico Attorney General Gary King told the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee‘s subcommittee on human rights this morning.

King urged…

State budget gives AG more muscle to pursue fraud

By | 03.08.10 | 6:22 pm

Attorney General Gary King would get extra muscle to go after taxpayer money lost to fraud under a state budget the Legislature passed last week. The budget earmarks $150,000 for King to hire a full-time attorney to focus on court complaints filed by citizens who believe that the state has been defrauded, resulting in the loss of taxpayer money. A full-time attorney dedicated to so-called qui tam lawsuits could represent a financial boon to the state.

UPDATED: Senate spreads budget pain around

By | 02.11.10 | 6:50 pm

Public school teachers and state workers would pay more toward their retirement while several, but not all, state agencies would get fewer dollars next year under a state budget plan approved by a powerful Senate committee on Thursday.

Also roughly 250 more state jobs across state government would disappear than in a House-approved state budget plan that served as the starting point for the Senate proposal. Many of those targeted state government positions are already vacant, legislative officials said.

Vigil-Giron’s atty asks judge to dismiss charges until impartial prosecutor can be found

By | 09.04.09 | 5:04 pm

Former New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron’s attorney asked a judge Friday to dismiss charges against his client, saying the state Attorney General’s Office isn’t an impartial prosecutor. He added that he would call AG Gary King as…

Key records missing in Rebecca Vigil-Giron embezzlement case

By | 09.02.09 | 5:38 pm

Two bidders competed for a 2004 contract that is central to the criminal case against former New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil Giron and three others. But the RFPs are no where to be found.

Two nonprofits react to AG Gary King’s decision to appeal federal court ruling

By | 08.25.09 | 9:53 am

Representatives of two nonprofits on the winning end of a federal judge’s ruling three weeks ago reacted Monday to news that New Mexico Attorney General Gary King plans to appeal the decision.

AG Gary King: No conflicts in his agency’s SOS case prosecution

By | 08.24.09 | 1:48 pm

New Mexico Attorney General Gary King is saying his office is free of conflict of interests that would weaken its prosecution of former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron and three other defendants.

The issue of potential conflicts came out…

AG Gary King says he will appeal federal nonprofit ruling UPDATED

By | 08.24.09 | 12:00 pm

Attorney General Gary King said over the weekend that he’ll ask a federal appellate court to overturn a federal court ruling that New Mexico can’t require nonprofits to disclose their donors.

Vigil-Giron accused of embezzlement, money laundering scheme

By | 08.19.09 | 10:09 pm

According to an indictment handed down Wednesday, former New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron fabricated a letter — postdating it Aug 26, 2004 — to help cover up a vast money laundering and embezzlement scheme. The alleged scheme involved Vigil-Giron, a nationally respected Hispanic media consultant and a husband-and-wife team who now lobby for the city of Albuquerque.

Federal judge sides with nonprofit right to free speech

By | 08.04.09 | 12:01 am

A federal court on Monday ruled that the state of New Mexico had violated two nonprofits’ rights to free speech last year by attempting to force them to disclose the origin of the money that had paid for mailers that were critical of state lawmakers.

Federal judge rules for nonprofits, says state action hurt their free speech

By | 08.03.09 | 1:06 pm

A federal court judge ruled today that the state of New Mexico was in the wrong for trying to require two nonprofit organizations to register as political committees after they sent mailings to constituents in 2008 that were…

Richardson’s office denies NMI records request citing ‘executive privilege’

By | 06.10.09 | 12:00 am

The Independent sought to view documents from the governor’s office from January through August 2006 that would have divulged with whom he had met in the months prior to the costly investment that benefitted the son of the governor’s friend to the tune of millions of dollars.

SF Reporter: Is AG Gary King indifferent to open government violations?

By | 04.09.09 | 10:12 am

gary-king-picSince Jan. 1, 2007, there have been approximately 20 occasions when Attorney General Gary King’s office determined an agency had violated the state’s public records or open meetings laws.

Will ABQ move to restrict activities of nonprofits during election year?

By | 04.03.09 | 11:56 am

Is Albuquerque taking up the fight to restrict the activities of nonprofits during an election year?

A member of the city’s Charter Review Task Force suggested Thursday amending the city’s charter with a proposal that bears a striking resemblance…

Campaign contribution limits bill clears N.M. House easily

By | 03.21.09 | 3:23 am

The New Mexico House voted 49 to 17 Friday to cap the amount of money political candidates and elected officials can accept from individuals and political committees. If the Senate gives its OK and Gov. Bill Richardson signs the bill, the vote would allow New Mexico to cast off the stigma as one of only five states in the union to not limit campaign contributions.