The Good Stuff—So Far—In The PRC Ethics Survey

By Corey on November 17th, 2009

As promised, here’s the good stuff:

DSC01380The preceding page began:

suggestions“The Commissioners must lead by example————”

The PRC let reporters in to view super-thick binders with copies of a couple hundred survey ethics survey, like this one. Most were not redacted. Indeed, most responders didn’t bother to offer suggestions at all. Nearly half of the employees who got surveys didn’t fill them out, for whatever reason.

According to the PRC’s new spokesman Gerald Garner Jr:

Of the 265 surveys distributed, 127 were completed…Approximately 30 of the completed questionnaires contain redacted items. The redactions were made because they contained anonymous personal criticisms of individuals at the NMPRC.

Judging by the tone and content of many handwritten responses, some of the harshest criticisms were likely directed at high-level managers and the PRC’s elected commissioners. That’s not much of a surprise, but specific allegations of unethical conduct are what’s of public interest here—and those are precisely what the PRC has chosen not to disclose.

Some series, if vague charges did make it past the PRC’s black pen.

violations
Assault, embezzlement, sexual harassment, campaign law violations—is that all you got?

I’ll post more after the cut. Keep refreshing!

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Were Names Named In The Unredacted PRC Ethics Survey?

By Corey on November 17th, 2009

In a pre-coffee, pre-email check Twitter post this AM, I gave props to the Santa Fe New Mexican’s “bombshell” on the results of the Public Regulation Commission’s internal ethics survey. Turns out the PRC sent the survey results to reporters around the state last night. Anyway, the New Mex should still be commended for putting up a fight over the agency’s ridiculous excuse for not releasing the full survey responses.

NMFOG executive director Sarah Welsh got it exactly right:

“Sure, some of the responses may be embarrassing and they may include wild accusations that are unfounded or deliberately false. But there is no exception in (the state’s Inspection of Public Records Act) that allows agencies to withhold information on those grounds,” she said. “The remedy for spurious information is true information, not censorship. Let the accusations come out so the public can engage in an informed dialogue about solutions.”

Oh, it’s sure to be embarrassing. Turns out what PRC employees are most worried about is cronyism.

PRC survey sample

Perhaps some names were named in the full responses.

With its email announcement, the PRC sent along a spreadsheet with the basic findings of its questionnaire. We’ve posted an image of that file after the cut, or right-click this link to download. Enjoy.

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State Board Sued Over Refusal To Release Records Connected To Pay-To-Play Allegation

By Corey on February 13th, 2009

There’s a new development in the case of Frank Foy, the former investment officer with the state Educational Retirement Board who sued the state for allegedly making a bad investment with a campaign donor to Gov. Bill Richardson.

Foy’s attorney, Victor Marshall, filed a complaint against the ERB yesterday, saying the board improperly denied a public records request and is attempting to draw “a veil of secrecy” around its operations.

Bruce Malott

Bruce Malott

“The ERB is refusing to allow inspection of its public records in order to coverup wrongdoing at the agency, including wrongdoing by [ERB chairman] Bruce Malott and [state investment officer] Gary Bland. The ERB has denied the request to prevent the public from learning about malfeasance, nonfeasance and incompetence at ERB,” Marshall writes in the complaint.

Here’s a PDF copy of the complaint.

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