Gary King
Summer 2010 is scarcely one week old, and looking back it has been a very busy half-year for the Attorney General’s Office. We have been working on major issues including state investments, public land exchanges, environmental protection, and various civil and criminal prosecutions.
OppenheimerFunds recovery
One of our most recent accomplishments involves a settlement agreement in the state’s investigation of OppenheimerFunds’ management of the New Mexico 529 college savings programs.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, OppenheimerFunds agrees to pay to the state Education Trust Board more than $67.3 million, to be distributed to eligible Education Plan and Scholar’sEdge participants who invested in portfolios that had exposure to the Oppenheimer Core Bond Fund.
Federal health care bill
Much has been said on all sides of the federal health care bill issue, most of it being political and rhetorical posturing. I have made it clear to all factions that I am not inclined to join lawsuits for or against the bill until and unless it is determined that to do so will benefit my client, the state of New Mexico.
The bill is beyond voluminous but until we have read it through, done our research and reviewed the research of others, I will not be pressured by politics or special interest groups to get New Mexico involved in unnecessary litigation.
Environment
Earlier this year my office sued to stop the controversial White Peak land exchanges because they violate state law and the bidding process used is unconstitutional. We asked for and received from the state Supreme Court an emergency stay to prohibit further similar exchanges of state trust lands by the land commissioner.
Prosecutions
In February, my office prosecutors successfully obtained six separate convictions in a two-week period against people accused of exploitation, fraud and physical abuse of elderly and developmentally disabled Medicaid recipients.
March saw my Medicaid fraud unit investigation lead to indictments against an Albuquerque-area pair for Medicaid fraud, conspiracy and falsification of documents. In the same month our Medicaid Fraud & Elder Abuse Division obtained separate indictments against two Valencia County women on charges including resident abuse and neglect and Medicaid fraud.
And recently, working with local law enforcement, we produced the first indictment under New Mexico’s relatively new anti-human trafficking law. The suspected violator is charged with human trafficking involving forced prostitution at an Albuquerque-area motel.
Finally, because of space limitations, I will just briefly remind you of what the Attorney General’s Office is doing to combat government corruption and other crimes. Cases are still working their way through the judicial system that involve a PRC commissioner, former secretary of state, Region 3 Housing Authority, multiple Internet crimes against children, mortgage fraud, securities fraud, unfair business practices, and much more. The rest of the year ahead appears to be just as busy as the first half.
King is New Mexico’s attorney general.