Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
On May 26, 2026, we filed a sealed complaint in State of New Mexico, ex rel. Ruthie Mares, Relator, v. Mora County, Mora County Board of Commissioners, and George A. Trujillo, an action against the County of Mora, its Board of Commissioners, and George A. Trujillo, Chair of the Board of Commissioners, under the False Claims Act, New Mexico Fraud Against Taxpayers Act (Qui Tam), New Mexico Fair Pay for Women Act, New Mexico Whistleblower Protection Act, and Quo Warranto in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. The District Court unsealed the case on September 17, 2026. View the Complaint here.
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Anyone giving truthful testimony is protected by law:
FCA provides, “Any employee, contractor, or agent shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make that employee, contractor, or agent whole, if that employee, contractor, or agent is discharged, demoted, suspended, threatened, harassed, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment because of lawful acts done by the employee, contractor, agent or associated others in furtherance of an action under this section or other efforts to stop 1 or more violations of this subchapter.” FCA, 31 U.S.C. § 3730(h)(1) (“Relief From Retaliatory Actions”).
FATA provides, “An employer shall not discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, deny promotion to or in any other manner discriminate against an employee in the terms and conditions of employment because of the lawful acts of the employee on behalf of the employee or others in disclosing information to a government or law enforcement agency or in furthering a fraud against taxpayers action, including investigating, initiating, testifying or assisting in an action filed or to be filed pursuant to the Fraud Against Taxpayers Act. NMFATA, NMSA § 44-9-11(B) (“Employer Interference with Employee Disclosure; Private Action for Retaliation”).
FPWA provides, “It is a violation of the Fair Pay for Women Act for an employer or any other person to discharge, demote, deny promotion to or in any other way discriminate against an employee in the terms or conditions of employment in retaliation for the person asserting a claim or right pursuant to the Fair Pay for Women Act or assisting another person to do so, or for informing another person about employment rights or other rights provided by law. NMFPWA, NMSA § 28-23-5 (“Retaliation Prohibited”).
WPA Section 3 provides, “A public employer shall not take any retaliatory action against a public employee because the public employee: A. communicates to the public employer or a third party information about an action or a failure to act that the public employee believes in good faith constitutes an unlawful or improper act; B. provides information to, or testifies before, a public body as part of an investigation, hearing or inquiry into an unlawful or improper act; or C. objects to or refuses to participate in an activity, policy or practice that constitutes an unlawful or improper act.” WPA, NMSA § 10-16C-3 (“Public Employer Retaliatory Action Prohibited”).
