Transparency

Albuquerque's legal department went nearly a year without giving City Council required reports on more than $8 million in lawsuit settlements

Confidence: Confirmed · 2 sourcesCity of Albuquerque · Sep 22, 2026

Subject of this story

Lauren Keefe, City Attorney

What happened

For roughly twelve months, spanning October 2024 through early 2026, the Albuquerque City Attorney's Office failed to deliver legally required periodic reports to the City Council detailing lawsuit settlements, a period in which the city paid out more than $8 million, including a $2.5 million settlement over the 2020 police shooting of Max Mitnik, an $850,000 wrongful-death settlement, and roughly $1 million across 15-plus public-records-violation lawsuits. After City Desk ABQ inquired, City Attorney Lauren Keefe acknowledged on the record that staffing changes in her department had delayed the reports for more than a year, and the legal department transmitted the overdue reports shortly after.

Sources (2)

City Desk ABQCity Attorney Lauren Keefe acknowledged that staff changes had delayed the reports for more than a year; the last report Council received was in Q1 2025.

SourceToday, Lauren Keefe became Albuquerque's City Attorney... the city council voted that evening to approve her nomination, June 22, 2022.

Response

Lauren Keefe

Statement given

Contacted and responded — exact wording not on record.

What happened next (0)

No outcome recorded yet.

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