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Disinformation endangers democracy in NM and beyond, experts say
In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared Sept. 15 as the International Day of Democracy in order to “encourage and promote democratization, development and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.” Fifteen years later, the UN secretary general is warning that democracy is under threat globally — and experts say New Mexico is facing […]
Election deniers rally behind an unrepentant Couy Griffin
The far right is rallying behind former Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin following his court-ordered removal from his commission seat last week. Griffin remained unrepentant, telling a far-right radio host that the judge who ordered him off the board had no authority to do so, and suggesting that shadowy forces barred him from office in […]
NM Secretary of State testifies before Congress about threats against election officials
The threat to our elections, once directed by adversaries like Russia, is now coming from inside the country, according to testimony Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver gave to the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday. “For people who believe their government is corrupt and their leaders are not legitimate, threats of physical violence and […]
Fact-checking the Clements’ stolen election allegations
The sheer volume of claims made by David and Erin Clements make it difficult to debunk each one individually — their presentations often run in the two-to-four hour range — and earlier this year they sent an unsolicited 241-page document outlining alleged election fraud to nearly every elected official in the state. But many of […]
The two people behind the election denial movement in New Mexico
David Clements said it’s time to start the executions. Speaking to a crowd of dozens at the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Rio Rancho, Clements and his wife Erin outlined their theories that the 2020 election was stolen and told the crowd that massive voter fraud is a pervasive problem in New Mexico’s election system […]
Otero County votes 2-1 to approve primary results
Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin avoided jail time for participating in the Capitol riot at his federal sentencing today, and hours later voted to defy a New Mexico Supreme Court order directing the Otero County Commission to approve the vote count from the June 7 primary. Griffin was the lone no vote on the council […]
Couy Griffin sentenced to time served, meaning no more jail time
Otero County commissioner Couy Griffin avoided more jail time at a federal court sentencing hearing Friday for his role in the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Judge Trevor McFadden sentenced Griffin to 14-days in jail, but since he spent more time than that in pretrial detention he will not be incarcerated, according […]
NM Supreme Court steps in after Otero County refuses to certify primary results
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Otero County Commission to certify the results of the 2022 primary election, after commissioners voted unanimously Monday against doing so. The Otero County Commission is required by state law to certify the election results within 10 days of the election, unless it is able to find […]
Report finds at least 12 NM legislators joined extremist Facebook groups
A report from the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights found 875 sitting state lawmakers are current or former members of extremist or conspiracy-minded Facebook groups, including 12 New Mexico legislators. All of the NM legislators identified in the report are Republicans. The report notes that there may be more legislators across the […]
Out-of-state donations pour into governor’s campaign
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has accepted nearly $700,000 in high-value contributions from donors listing their residence as outside of New Mexico during the primary election cycle. Between Oct. 5 and May 2, the governor received 67 donations of $10,000 or more from donors listing their address as out-of-state, for a total of $692,400. This is […]
State risks losing federal money if it’s not spent soon
Since the start of the pandemic, the federal government has allocated more than $26 billion in funding to New Mexico, but much of that money has yet to be spent, and some of it could be lost if the state government fails to appropriate it, the Legislative Finance Committee heard Wednesday. This includes more than […]