PRESS RELEASE September 22, 2014

District Attorney Releases Report On Deleted E-mails Under Prior

Administration
Third Judicial District Attorney, Mark DAntonio released an Administrative Investigative
Report of missing e-mails and destruction of computer hard drives by former District Attorney
employees. The Report was prompted by difficulty encountered in the District Attorneys office
responding to a request made under the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA). Mr. DAntonio
issued the following statement:
It is the policy of my office to respond quickly and thoroughly to public records requests made
by any citizen. Unfortunately, we have not been able to comply with a recent IPRA request for
e-mail correspondence because it appears that e-mails related to District Attorney business have
been intentionally deleted and hard drives may have been destroyed by the prior administration.
Also very troubling is that one of the few e-mails that were found during this investigation
reveals the former District Attorney and current Department of Public Safety General Counsel,
Amy Orlando, ordered staff to make it difficult for my incoming administration to apply for
more than $200,000 of federal grants under the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative.
That e-mail clearly shows a mind set to put politics above public safety and justice. I made a
commitment to the people of Dona Ana County and New Mexico that politics would have no
place in my decision making and that all citizens would have free and open access to their
District Attorneys office. I want to take this opportunity to reassure the people that the
inappropriate behavior and activities that took place prior to me taking office are not occurring
now and will not be tolerated under my watch.
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Eunice Calderazzo / Public Information Officer / Third Judicial District Attorneys Office
845 N Motel Blvd / 2
nd
Floor, Suite D / 575-524-6370 / 575-469-0940 cell
Third Judicial District Attorneys Office of Dona Ana County @NM3rdJudicialDA
www.donaanacountyda.com