On Thursday, it was reported first by the Santa Fe New Mexican’s Daniel Chacón that two of embattled Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s cabinet secretaries are jumping ship for greener pastures.
Dr. Tracie Collins of the Department of Health, who only recently joined the administration in February, and Information Technology Department secretary John Salazar is leaving as well after joining the administration in February of 2020.
These are just the latest officials to leave the scandal-ridden administration, following people such as former Department of Workforce Solutions secretary Bill McCamley and senior advisor to the Governor, Dominic Gabello.
John Bingaman, the Governor’s former chief of staff, left the administration to manage a private investment firm, and in January, Victor Reyes, the governor’s legislative director, stepped down. Gabello was involved in the payments the Governor made to a former staffer, James Hallinan after she was accused of pouring water on his genitals and groping him.
Last year, Department of Finance and Administration secretary Olivia Padilla-Jackson, Department of Health secretary Kathy Kunkel, and state epidemiologist Dr. Michael Landen all resigned, among others.
Collins is reportedly returning to her former job at the University of New Mexico and Sanchez is focusing on his family, with his wife ailing with a medical issue regarding her leg.
“Although it’s time for me to return to my academic career, I look forward to continuing to work hand in hand with the governor and her administration to enhance public health throughout our state,” Collins said in a statement.
The Department of Information Technology has been caught instructing, upon the Governor’s request, state employees to use the “Microsoft Teams” application to delete messages in 24 hours, which likely violates the Inspection of Public Records (IPRA) Act.
The Governor has been under scrutiny for belittling opposition, specifically calling opponents “QAnon lizard people.”