The New Mexico Secretary of State’s office has agreed to a $22,000 settlement after a public records controversy over voter details.
The Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), a think tank emphasizing policy issues in the American Southwest, disclosed the settlement, citing a denied application under New Mexico’s Inspection of Public Records Act, akin to the federal Freedom of Information Act.
Highlighting the importance of the case, SPPI President Patrick M. Brenner commented, “This is a message to all governing bodies. You are being watched and we do not take ignoring public records requests lightly.”
Brenner expressed concern over bureaucratic tendencies to either obstruct, delay, or label requests as “overly broad or overly burdensome.”
“But the secretary of state’s office tried to ignore our request,” he added.
Maggie Toulouse Oliver, the Secretary of State for New Mexico since her election in 2016, previously held the position of county clerk for Bernalillo County, where she supervised public records.
As of now, her office has refrained from offering any comments on the case to the media.
SPPI, known for its free-market research orientation, operates from its branches in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and Cedar Park, Texas.
The institute’s quest for voter records was to serve a broader educational objective.
Brenner remarked, “We were looking for voter records, all of which are subject to public inspection. We wanted to educate the public if we know which members of the public to educate.”
The legal tussle saw a state court turning down the motion from the New Mexico secretary of state’s office to dismiss the lawsuit, eventually culminating in the financial settlement.
Brenner opined that officials in charge of public records have grown accustomed to inertia, emphasizing the importance of the recent settlement.
“Transparency is the cornerstone of a strong democracy and we will fight for it to the fullest extent of the law,” he asserted.
Read the settlement here:
