Past governors used private email

Associated Press

Updated: Jul 10, 2012 11:47 AM

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has come under fire in recent weeks for her office's use of private email for some official communications. But the Albuquerque Journal reports that was common practice for her predecessors.

Gary Johnson, a former Republican and now Libertarian candidate for president, told the Journal (http://bit.ly/PGNoKB ) he never used an official email account when he was governor from 1995 to 2003.

And former Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat who served from 2003 to 2010, used multiple private email accounts but no official government account, according to a review of records he turned over to the State Records Center and Archives.

Martinez spokesman Scott Darnell says the revelation of the habits of past governors bolsters Martinez's claim that she was breaking new ground and exceeding requirements in issuing a directive last month that all employees use state accounts when conducting state business via email.

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