Independent Source PAC

Protecting Working Families by investigating and exposing the actions and hypocrisy of the Conservative Agenda

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 Senator Linda Lopez, Chair of Senate Rules Committee, Representative Rick Miera, Chair of Legislative Education Study Committee Dear Senator Lopez and Representative Miera, As respective Chairs of the Senate Rules Committee and Chair of the Legislative Education Study Committee, we are writing to ask you to officially request from the New Mexico Attorney General an investigation of actions of the New Mexico Public Education Departments Public Information Officer regarding his direction of state employees to gather information relative to licensed teachers in New Mexico for political purposes of an aligned political operative. This probable violation of state law appears to have been done with knowledge and consent of Secretary-designate Hanna Skandera. We also ask the investigation include the possible involvement of Governor Martinez and her Chief of Staff and spokesman; Secretary-designate Hanna Skandera and her Chief of Staff, in addition to the NM PED Public Information Officer, as all of these individuals were apparently using personal (as opposed to official state) email addresses in sending and/or communicating with each other (along with the private political operative Jay McCleskey of Susana PAC) in what could be construed as an effort to escape public observation of their activities. While we have asked the Attorney General in a separate request for the same review and possible investigation, in some instances such a request has needed in the past to come from a state government official or sitting legislator. The newspaper article by Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican (see link below) helps to illustrate our concerns and reasons for this request to investigate. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/N-M--agency-compiled-email-list-for-gov--s-PAC We also ask the investigation of the actions of the parties referred to above and their apparent use of state personnel and state resources include the possible un-equal treatment of requests for public information under the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA), as Independent Source PAC (ISPAC)has been refused certain information in the past while it is apparent that the friends of the Governor and her political appointees have actually been afforded a preference in the granting of similar requests by NM PED. (See attached email from NM PED to ISPAC.) Finally we ask that your respective committees hold hearings demanding the attendance of Secretary-designate Skandera and others related to the above matters. Thanking you for your prompt attention to this request, Sincerely,

Michael Corwin Executive Director Independent Source PAC (505) 250-0244 corwinri@mac.com