The civil lawsuit against Yvonne Otero was filed Tuesday by the State Ethics Commission. Otero, a Republican elected as Torrance County clerk in 2020, was replaced in office last month by a decision of the board of county commissioners. Jacob Candelaria, an attorney for Otero, called the misconduct allegations by the State Ethics Commission “outlandish, sexist and politically motivated,“ and said that Otero has not abandoned her elected post. Separately, Otero has petitioned the state Supreme Court to reinstate her as county clerk. Otero’s petition to the Supreme Court argues that county commissioners decided without proper evidence or due process that she had abandoned her duties as clerk.

Source: The Star February 11, 2023 10:01 UTC