TORRANCE COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico county has a new clerk after allegations of bizarre and inappropriate on-the-job behavior against the former clerk. Linda Jaramillo is the new Torrance County clerk, according to the county’s website.
This comes after months of uncertainty after the former clerk, Yvonne Otero, battled allegations of inappropriate work behavior. In October, an independent investigator looked into the allegations and reported them to county commissioners.
Some of the substantiated allegations were Otero asking an employee for prescription narcotics, using cocaine, making sexual comments at work, and clicking a taser next to the ear of a staffer. She was also accused of skipping out on certifying election machines before the November election.
Elected officials like county clerks cannot be ‘fired’ by county leaders, but on December 15, the commission drafted paperwork claiming Otero abandoned the job. According to a resolution, Otero’s work laptop had not been connected to the Torrance County network since February, and she has not been seen at the office since September. In a December 28 meeting, Commissioners voted on the resolution, deeming Otero permanently abandoning her post after not being at work for at least 30 days.
According to the resolution, the county believes she is now privately employed. According to her linked-in page, the new county clerk, Linda Jaramillo, has previous clerk experience dating back to 1997.
