New Mexico Regulations § 1.8.1.10 INFORMAL COMPLAINTS; ASSESSMENTS

A. Upon receipt of an informal complaint or a referral, the director shall assess whether the informal complaint alleges a violation of the ethics laws and is supported by sufficient evidence for a reasonable person to conclude that a violation has occurred.

B. To complete the assessment provided in Subsection A of this section, the director may seek information, proactively or in response to investigative leads, relating to activities that constitute violations of the ethics laws. In making an assessment, the director may seek and review information that is available to the public. For example, the director may review public social media accounts, make written requests for records under the Inspection of Public Records Act, and interview witnesses. Assessments may result in:

C. Before initiating an assessment, the director must determine whether the proposed assessment is based on factors other than activities protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution or the race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, political affiliation, or other protected status of the assessment's subject.