Governor's Office Releases Emails to ABQ Raw
New Mexico's Supreme Court declined to override a lower court order requiring the Governor's Office to release records to the Albuquerque news group.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Law
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The New Mexico Governor's Office has released emails to the online news group ABQ Raw after the state Supreme Court refused to override a lower court ruling. The case was filed by ABQ Raw's owners in 2024 under the state's public records law.
Why it matters
The case concerns whether state officials can decide which outlets attend invitation-only news conferences. ABQ Raw alleges the criteria were built to exclude its reporters, raising free speech and due process questions for press access in New Mexico.
The complaint was filed in 2024 and accuses the Governor's Office of violating the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act. Judge Beatrice Brickhouse of the Second Judicial District ordered the release in August, and the Supreme Court refused to override that ruling.
The players
ABQ Raw
An online news group based in Albuquerque that brought the public records lawsuit against the Governor's Office over news conference access.
Beatrice Brickhouse
A judge of New Mexico's Second Judicial District who ordered the Governor's Office to release the requested emails.
The details
ABQ Raw, an online news group in Albuquerque, alleges the Governor's Office developed criteria for which media outlets may attend invitation-only news conferences, and that those criteria were designed to exclude its reporters. The Governor's Office released the emails to the outlet after the New Mexico Supreme Court refused to override the lower court's order.
Timeline
2024: ABQ Raw files its complaint against the Governor's Office.
August: Second Judicial District Judge Beatrice Brickhouse orders the emails released.
November 7, 2026: The Governor's Office releases the emails after the Supreme Court denial.
Political Context
The lawsuit tests whether the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act reaches the criteria officials use to admit reporters to press events. The dispute raises the counter-question of how much discretion state offices retain over which outlets receive access.
The ruling means the state must hand over the requested emails, which may show how press access decisions were made. For New Mexico reporters and residents, the outcome could affect how easily outlets can attend state news conferences.
The takeaway
Public records lawsuits can shape who gets into government press events, not just what documents become public. Readers following state transparency can track how the released emails are used in future coverage.
Further reading
For more on the legal framework behind records disputes like this, see New Mexico Law.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Santa Fe New Mexican.
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