.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Searchlight New Mexico, a nonprofit investigative news organization. A longer, unedited version can be found at http://www.searchlightnm.org/ Attorney General Hector Balderas Attorney General Hector Balderas’ relationship with a local law firm is under scrutiny amid allegations that Albuquerque-based attorney Marcus Rael Jr. used his influence with the attorney general to persuade Balderas to sign off on a multibillion-dollar utility merger. The merger between a global energy giant and New Mexico’s largest utility could drastically changes electricity distribution in the state, with hundreds of millions of dollars for New Mexico utility customers hanging in the balance.