{"id":41326,"date":"2012-07-09T06:47:33","date_gmt":"2012-07-09T12:47:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=41326"},"modified":"2012-07-10T08:43:18","modified_gmt":"2012-07-10T14:43:18","slug":"former-governors-didnt-use-public-e-mail-accounts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2012\/07\/former-governors-didnt-use-public-e-mail-accounts\/","title":{"rendered":"Former governors didn\u2019t use public e-mail accounts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Former<\/a>

Former Govs. Gary Johnson, left, and Bill Richardson<\/p><\/div>\n

In addition to the revelation that former Govs. Gary Johnson and Bill Richardson avoided using public e-mail accounts, scrutiny of who has access to information about teachers is keeping the private e-mail controversy in the news.<\/h4>\n

The controversy over using of private e-mail to conduct public business continues, and among the news is a revelation that the previous two governors avoided using public e-mail accounts.<\/p>\n

Former Republican Gov. Gary Johnson<\/a> was quoted by KRQE-TV in Albuquerque<\/a> as saying he never used public e-mail during his eight years as governor because he didn\u2019t want his e-mail to be subject to the Inspection of Public Records Act<\/a>. Johnson, now the Libertarian Party\u2019s presidential candidate, was quoted as saying public disclosure of his e-mail would hamper honest communication with staff.<\/p>\n

Former Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson<\/a> apparently didn\u2019t use his public e-mail account either, KRQE reported. State Records Administrator John Hyrum Martinez was quoted as saying the Richardson administration was the first to turn over e-mail \u2013 and there wasn\u2019t a single one sent to or from Richardson\u2019s account or in his deleted box.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean Richardson didn\u2019t turn over any e-mails. KRQE showed an example of an e-mail Richardson turned over that was sent from a government employee to a redacted personal account belonging to the former governor.<\/p>\n

You can watch KRQE\u2019s report on the former governors here:<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

King cries foul<\/h3>\n

Meanwhile, Attorney General Gary King<\/a>, who is investigating allegations of political activity by employees in the Public Education Department that came to light because of leaked private e-mails, went on the offensive on Friday after the state GOP requested his private e-mails.<\/p>\n

KOB-TV in Albuquerque<\/a> reported that King accused the state GOP of trying to \u201cat a minimum take up the time of the Attorney General\u2019s Office.\u201d He also called the records request an attempt to intimidate him. Regardless, he\u2019s in the process of turning over records.<\/p>\n

King\u2019s investigation comes after PED recently separated a statewide list of teachers, which included e-mail addresses, into two categories \u2013 union and non-union members \u2013 before sending it to Gov. Susana Martinez\u2019s<\/a> political adviser Jay McCleskey, in response to a verbal records request.<\/p>\n

McCleskey says that isn\u2019t information he wanted. In response, his consulting business filed a second request for teachers\u2019 addresses \u2013 he was apparently seeking home addresses \u2013 but PED denied that request.<\/p>\n

You can watch KOB\u2019s report here:<\/p>\n