Monday, July 14, 2008

"Darren White broke the law."

If you read Mark Bralley's latest essay;
"Trouble in Lobo Land. It's "NOT" irrelevant." link
you can come to no other conclusion.

So now what?

The local media is done with it. They got their one or two
news cycles out of the scandal; and now they're off to other
stories.

So who is going to follow up on the fact that Darren White,
a Congressional Candidate, who is also the senior law
enforcement officer in the Rio Grande Valley,
and a couple of senior political appointees to the University
of New Mexico, broke the law?

The law, State Statute 10-16, has been in effect since at
least 1978. It is called the Governmental Conduct Act.

When I asked a clerk in the records office of the
Second Judicial District Court, how many complaints
have been filed under the law; she replied;
"None.
Apparently it has never been necessary."

I would beg to differ. It has been, and is necessary.

So who will do anything?

According to the statute; the burden seems to fall upon the
State's Attorney General's Office.

10-16-14- A. The secretary of state may refer suspected violations of the Governmental Conduct Act to the attorney general, district attorney or appropriate state agency or legislative body for enforcement. If a suspected violation involves the office of the secretary of state, the attorney general may enforce that act. If a suspected violation involves the office of the attorney general, a district attorney may enforce that act.

10-16-14-E. Subject to the provisions of this section, the Governmental Conduct Act may be enforced by the attorney general. Except as regards legislators or statewide elected officials, a district attorney in the county where a person resides or where a violation occurred may also enforce that act. Enforcement actions may include seeking civil injunctive or other appropriate orders.

We'll see if Gary King will do anything at all.
Being a cynic that I have become, I think not.

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