$1.3 million dark money operation to stop malpractice reform brought to light
A political group that fought tooth and nail to block medical malpractice reform in New Mexico has been forced to lift the veil on its funding—revealing an operation bankrolled almost entirely by trial attorneys.
New Mexico Safety Over Profit, the self-described “network” opposing changes to the state’s malpractice laws, disclosed nearly $1.3 million in contributions Monday after settling a lawsuit with the State Ethics Commission. The donor list, obtained through the settlement, reads like a roll call of the state’s trial bar.
The New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association alone pumped in $245,000 over four-plus years, while Iowa trial attorney Nicholas Rowley shelled out $425,000. Dozens of other contributors—mostly New Mexico trial lawyers, with a smattering from out of state—round out the list.
The group was sued by the Ethics Commission earlier this year for refusing to comply with state lobbying laws. The commission argued Safety Over Profit was running a coordinated lobbying and advertising campaign—complete with full-page newspaper ads and targeted social media blitzes—without registering or reporting its donors and expenditures.
In the end, the group agreed to pay the maximum allowable fine under state law—$5,000—while releasing its donors and advertising expenditures from the run-up to this year’s legislative session. Notably, the disclosure went back to 2021, exceeding the formal settlement requirements.
President of the group’s board, Albuquerque attorney Feliz Rael, maintained the group did nothing wrong, but admitted they opted to settle to avoid “an unnecessary use of time and resources.” She added, “We have nothing to hide and are proud to disclose our donors.”
State Ethics Commission Deputy Director Amelia Bierle called the agreement a “significant outcome,” stressing that “The people of New Mexico have a right to know who is trying to shape public policy in our state.”
The revelations confirm what reform advocates have long suspected—that New Mexico Safety Over Profit is not a grassroots movement of concerned citizens, but rather a well-funded shield for trial lawyers intent on preserving the lucrative status quo.
Medical malpractice reform has been a flashpoint in Santa Fe since lawmakers overhauled the law in 2021. Providers warn the changes have driven malpractice insurance premiums through the roof, worsening an already critical doctor shortage—particularly in rural areas. Efforts to cap attorney fees in malpractice suits have been met with fierce resistance from trial lawyers and their allies.
Fred Nathan, executive director of the reform-minded think tank Think New Mexico, said the settlement “pulls back the curtain.” According to Nathan, “Thanks to the New Mexico Ethics Commission, the public now knows that this dark money group… is entirely funded by trial lawyers… and is actually nothing more than a front group for the trial lawyers.”
Safety Over Profit insists it will continue “fighting for the rights of New Mexicans” and holding “negligent corporations” accountable. But with its donor list now public, critics say the group’s true mission—to protect trial lawyers’ bottom line—can no longer be hidden behind glossy ads and populist slogans.
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