SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A former state senator says in a lawsuit that he was threatened by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham through an emissary with “escalating consequences” in 2020 if he did not withdraw a request by his law firm for public records concerning the administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Attorney and former state legislator Jacob Candelaria of Albuquerque said Friday that he filed the lawsuit to ensure the governor can’t sidestep any eligible requests for public documents or inquiries into her administration’s response to the health emergency.
A spokeswoman for Lujan Grisham called the allegations baseless and without merit.