Governor's e-mail practices challenged

Associated Press

Updated: Jun 15, 2012 4:01 PM

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Gov. Susana Martinez used a personal email account to discuss state business, a practice critics call unacceptable.

The Santa Fe New Mexican Friday reports the governor used an email account associated with SusanaPAC, her political action committee, to discuss Corrections Department business.

In August, the newspaper says, she emailed members of her staff and her political adviser about a report on a prison escape, demanding answers.

In another instance, one of her staffers used personal email to seek information about inmates who have driver's licenses but no social security numbers

Gwyneth Doland, executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, calls the practice of conducting "public business in secret absolutely unacceptable."

Martinez spokesman Scott Darnell said all final state business is conducted through official state email or other correspondence.

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