Ex-prosecutor in ‘Rust’ case hoped involvement would help political career

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The New York Times is reporting the former special prosecutor in the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin hinted her involvement could help her political ambitions. The report comes a week after Andrea Reeb stepped down from the case.

It’s a stunning headline from one of the nation’s leading newspapers: “Ex-prosecutor in ‘Rust’ case suggested role ‘might help her campaign.'” The New York Times obtained an email sent in June from Andrea Reeb to Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies saying, “At some point though, I’d at least like to get out there that I am assisting you…as it might help in my campaign..LOL.”

Reeb, herself a former DA in southeast New Mexico, was running for a State House seat at the time. The Times also obtained Carmack-Altwies’s response, saying, “I am intending to either introduce you or send it in a press release when we get the investigation.”

Carmack-Altwies did not mention Reeb’s campaign, according to the Times. Reeb, a Republican, won her election in November. “If they’ve done their jobs correctly, somebody would have caught that. And three people didn’t do their jobs correctly, and so, because of that, it’s not negligence. It’s, it’s recklessness,” said Carmack-Altwies in January.

Carmack-Altwies brought Reeb on board as a special prosecutor in June as she brought involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin and “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, stemming from the October 2021 shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin’s legal team challenged Reeb’s role in the case, arguing it’s unconstitutional for her to serve as a special prosecutor and state lawmaker.

Reeb recused herself from the case last Tuesday, stating, “I will not allow questions about my serving as a legislator and prosecutor to cloud the real issue at hand.” But the actor’s attorneys filed a motion in court Tuesday mentioning the Times story, saying it’s, “yet another violation of Mr. Baldwin’s constitutional rights.”

Andrea Reeb gave the following statement:

“I think we are forgetting what this case is about; Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on that set. This is not about politics. It’s about getting justice for the victim.”

News 13 reached out to the Carmack-Atlwies office for a response to the Times article and an update on the case but did not hear back.