New Mexico Court Considers Evidence Against Former Senator

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico district court is scheduled to begin hearing testimony from state lawmakers on accusations that former Sen. Phil Griego used his public office to profit from the sale of a state-owned building. Griego has pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud, bribery and tampering with public records. Four days of evidentiary hearings are scheduled to start Tuesday at a courthouse in Albuquerque to decide whether the case warrants a trial. State District Judge Brett Loveless has ordered state lawmakers and their staff at the Legislative Finance Committee to testify at the hearings, overruling efforts to limit the scope of questioning ahead of time. Griego resigned from the Senate last year after acknowledging to a Senate investigative subcommittee that he violated the state Constitution.