ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) released additional documents from the predicate investigation into abuse of power by Taxation and Revenue Department (TRD) Secretary Padilla. Due to numerous public records requests, the OSA released certain documents from the case file that were determined to be public record.
Pursuant to the Inspection of Public Records Act, the following documents were released:
· The contract between the OSA and the independent forensic accounting firm that conducted the predicate investigation;
· Correspondence between the OSA and TRD, demonstrating TRD’s attempts to obstruct the investigation and subsequently acquiescing to the authority of the OSA; and,
· A letter referring the matter to the Attorney General, outlining allegations and evidence, the conclusions of the report, and the statutes that may have been violated.
OSA senior staff and State Auditor Tim Keller were on hand to answer questions about the documents. Auditor Keller also responded to the Administration’s previous comments regarding the investigation:
The campaign-style comments regarding this serious independent investigation of abuse of power by a cabinet secretary have been unprofessional and disrespectful to the CPA profession and taxpayers, and harmful to the state of New Mexico.
New Mexicans elected both the Governor and me, the same year, and we each have a job to do. The Auditor’s job is to be a watchdog for taxpayer dollars and shine a light on any fraud, waste and abuse in government.
Our office treated this case like we treat all serious allegations of corruption in government and refused to sweep it under the rug because it involves a high-level official or for fear of intimidation. We will continue to do our job, and call it like it is regardless of what other politicians say.
The OSA is comprised mostly of classified employees who do not serve at my pleasure, from both parties, who based on their CPA professional standards would never allow anyone in our office to make an official statement without adequate legitimacy. The OSA has an established track record of pinpointing financial abuse by elected officials from both parties and at all levels of government.
The administration should take the time to actually address to the concerns raised rather than taking political cheap shots. As an independent agency we will continue to lay out the facts with you and do our job free of conjecture and political rhetoric.