Morning Word: Duran on Her Own

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas cuts ties with secretary of state's office for now

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A month after indicting the New Mexico secretary of state, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says he’s

to Dianna Duran’s office. Journalist Ryan Luby reports the attorney general has even returned 31 campaign finance complaints to the SOS. However, it looks like Balderas’ office will continue to investigate the alleged campaign violations by state Rep. Antonio Maestas, D-Albuquerque, since they were referred before Duran was indicted. For now, Balderas suggests Duran send cases to local district attorneys. While Duran figures out what to do, the state House panel looking into evidence she used campaign donations to fund her alleged gambling habit has selected Albuquerque attorney

to lead the inquiry and provide legal opinions ahead of a potential impeachment hearing.

Record of Intimidation

Meanwhile, New Mexico Political Report journalist Andy Lyman

from Duran to a lawyer representing a Democratic candidate for Valencia County clerk in 2012, suggesting she was going to refer them to the state attorney general’s office and the federal Department of Homeland Security for allegedly interfering with an election after they filed an ethics complaint against the Republican candidate.

Over the Limit

Wow, SFR’s Thomas Ragan has discovered that Santa Fe is way over its liquor license quota. New Mexico’s Liquor Control Act says

residents. For Santa Fe, that figure should be 34, but the city has 128 licenses. Maybe that’s why there are so many DWI checkpoints popping up.

Faux Transparency

Government employees who ignore or deny public records requests are

in civil suits. Laura Paskus reports that too often,

to battle for government information. Open government advocates tell SFR they want Balderas and his team of state attorneys to beef up enforcement of NM’s records laws. For his part, Balderas is offering public servants some

in Las Cruces this week.

Not Negotiable

State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn says he’s not budging on fees allowing hunters access to state property. But Justin Horwath reports Dunn would consider requiring the state Department of Game and Fish to pay

, down from his initial proposal of a $2 million annual fee.

New Management

After years of setting up a

, the National Park Service begins operational control of the Valles Calderas

89,000 acres of pristine wilderness tomorrow.

Forceful Defense

Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood, kept Republican House Oversight Committee members at bay during

on Tuesday and forcefully defended the organization's mission to provide health care to more than 2.7 million people. She also showed that some of the faulty data being used to attack the organization was prepared by an antiabortion group.

SEC Fine

Bruce Krasnow reports the former head of Los Alamos National Bank

“to settle allegations of civil accounting fraud regarding loans that dropped in value during the recession.”

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