ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The Republican Party of New Mexico has filed a lawsuit claiming a district attorney’s office violated state public records laws by not providing records related to vandalism at the party headquarters.
A man was arrested in February on suspicion of criminal damage to property over $1,000 after police accused him of spray painting the words “still traitors” on the building, the Albuquerque Journal reported Thursday.
The 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office dropped the charge in May, citing lack of evidence and because the man’s lawyer presented a credible alibi, officials said. The man was an intern for Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham when she was a U.S. congresswoman.
The Republican Party of New Mexico requested the complete case file in June but received investigatory documents that did not include information that led to the court dismissal.
The district attorney’s office said the records are not subject to disclosure under the state Arrest Record Information Act, which makes it unlawful to disclose certain information for people not charged with crimes.
“We asked the affected individual for permission to release the information covered by the Arrest Record Information Act,” office spokeswoman Brandale Mills-Cox said. “He denied that request and, as a result, we disclosed all information allowable by law.”
The lawsuit filed Oct. 29 asked a judge to order the office to produce the requested records and award penalties of $100 a day since the request was filed.
Party Executive Director Anissa Tinnin was not immediately available for comment.
The district attorney’s office provided a letter it sent to Attorney General Hector Balderas seeking clarification on the matter. Mills-Cox said the office is still waiting for an opinion.
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