Heath Haussamen
New Mexicans know what corruption looks like.
We remember former N.M. Senate President Manny Aragon and others conspiring to steal $4.2 million in public money during construction of the Bernalillo County Courthouse.
We remember former state Sen. Phil Griego using his position to steer the sale of a state-owned building and then profiting off the deal.
We remember the wide-ranging scandal that led to the convictions of two consecutive state treasurers, Michael Montoya and Robert Vigil.
We remember former Secretary of State Dianna Duran misusing her own campaign funds even as she oversaw administration of the state’s campaign finance reporting system.
And boy, do we remember the tenure of former Gov. Bill Richardson.
We’ve had school board scandal and judicial scandal and housing authority scandal and so much more. From top to bottom, government in New Mexico has had more than its share of problems.
And yet, we’ve made lots of progress in recent decades. We’ve convicted and removed folks who abused the public trust. We’ve tightened controls and increased transparency. We’ve improved oversight by the state auditor, though there’s still work — and additional funding — needed there.
As a journalist, I’ve devoted much of my career to exposing corruption and abuse, and I’ve watched New Mexico government improve. So it really makes my head explode to see our federal government turning away from ethics and accountability.
‘America’s rule of law is now crumbling’
President Donald Trump fired the inspectors general at nearly all federal cabinet-level agencies on Friday. The move violated federal law. More importantly, it cleared the way for the president to act with less oversight and sent a chilling message to other government employees about what will happen to them if they call out his wrongdoing.
These aren’t partisan folks. Inspectors general exist to independently and objectively audit and investigate government agencies to root out waste, fraud and abuse and promote effectiveness and efficiency.
It’s the very thing Trump’s overlords like Elon Musk claim to seek — but that they very clearly do not actually want.
Trump’s removal of the inspectors general “lays the groundwork for taking over that government from within,” Michael J. Kelly, a law professor at Creighton University, wrote for JURISTnews. “…if the designated watchers aren’t watching, because they’ve been purged by the very abuse of power they were installed to prevent, then the way is open for more abuse and corruption to flow.”
Trump has spent years building a following of folks who don’t care and won’t try to stop him. Congress could impeach the president, but we’re not on track to do that, at least in the next two years.
“America’s rule of law is now crumbling before our eyes,” Kelly wrote.
The removal of inspectors general follows Trump’s successful push in December to block passage of the bipartisan PRESS ACT. That legislation would have, for the first time, protected journalists at a federal level from being forced to reveal confidential sources and from having their electronic communications surveilled to try to identify sources.
Such protection is critical to ensuring journalists’ ability to give voice to watchdogs within government.
In addition, on Monday Trump fired more than a dozen Department of Justice prosecutors who worked on the case against him, reaffirming the chilling message he’s broadcasting to federal employees.
As the inauguration made clear, the oligarchs are in charge, and Trump is reshaping our federal government so he and his buddies can become even richer, without regard for the American public.
‘Institutions do not protect themselves’
New Mexicans understand the need for watchdogs and whistleblowers. Our state auditor’s office is responsible for shining light on so many problems in government. It was a journalist who revealed Griego’s corruption. A whistleblower inside the government alerted us to the scandal at the housing authorities. Here we celebrate such people as heroes.
So what are we to do about what’s happening in our nation’s capitol? I fear there’s little recourse, for now. Trump is working to reshape our society into something less democratic. Our current Congress and U.S. Supreme Court appear unlikely to stop him.
And still, it can’t hurt to voice your concern if you’re so inclined. Call your representatives and senators. Ask them to push back.
It’s essential that Democrats retake the U.S. House in 2026. It’s in times like these, when one party rules, that inspectors general are especially critical. Without them, we desperately need real congressional oversight that our Republican-controlled House and Senate won’t provide. Republican senators wouldn’t even stop the absurd Pete Hegseth nomination.
We must also support good journalism. The watchdogs outside government are never more critical than when the government is overrun by oligarchs. My family subscribes to the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, even though each can be problematic at times. We also donate to High Country News and ProPublica — which is, as far as I’m concerned, the model of journalistic integrity and courage. If you pick one to support, make it ProPublica.
In New Mexico my family subscribes to the Las Cruces Bulletin, Las Cruces Sun-News, Albuquerque Journal and Santa Fe New Mexican. We also donate to New Mexico In Depth and public radio and TV.
I know some liberals hate the Journal and some conservatives dislike The New Mexican. I believe there’s a special place in hell for the corporate overlords who have purchased and cut to the bone newspapers like the Sun-News. I’m a critic when our news organizations fall short, but we must protect the institution of journalism in this moment regardless.
As historian Timothy Snyder wrote in his book On Tyranny, “It is institutions that help us preserve decency. They need our help as well. Do not speak of ‘our institutions’ unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf.
“Institutions do not protect themselves,” Synder wrote. “They fall one after the other unless each is protected from the beginning. So choose an institution you care about — a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union — and take its side.”
Our state is resilient
We must strengthen our institutions in New Mexico, especially those that play a role in strengthening the whole system. The N.M. state auditor spoke during a budget hearing this week about vacancies in his office and the need for additional funding. Let’s make sure that happens in the current legislative session.
It’s also important to give the N.M. Department of Justice the resources it needs to fulfill its mission. The DOJ plays a role in defending our state: Attorney General Raúl Torrez joined nearly two dozen other AGs from across the nation on Tuesday in suing to stop the Trump Administration’s freezing of federal funds, which was having widespread impacts on local and state government agencies, nonprofits and more in New Mexico and beyond. The AG’s efforts mattered: They contributed to a tsunami of criticism that forced Trump to back down on Wednesday.
We must ensure the state DOJ has the resources it needs to continue challenging the Trump Administration’s attempts to spread chaos and fear and consolidate power.
There are other ways we can support democracy. My daughter’s Scouts troop met at the city library this week. The girls got a tour of everything the facility has to offer. Those who didn’t have library cards signed up for them. The girls checked out books. It was a great civics lesson.
Subscribing to a newspaper and getting your child a library card are little things we can do to keep the fabric of our state strong. Every small act contributes.
This weeks’ insane federal funding freeze won’t be the last bomb the Trump Administration drops on New Mexico. But our state is resilient. It has outlived two empires and it can survive a third. To do that, we must keep building on the progress we’ve made in recent decades.
Let’s make our state and local governments as ethical, transparent, accessible and responsive to the needs of citizens as possible.
Disclosure: My spouse, Rep. Sarah Silva, D-Las Cruces, is a member of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee and is among those considering funding requests by the state auditor and attorney general. In addition, she has introduced legislation that would protect journalists’ sources and communications at the state level.