The Public Regulation Commission next week will release a compilation of the results of a 32-question ethics survey taken by agency employees, but will not make public critical comments made by employees on the survey form.

The New Mexican filed a public records request for "all and any results of the recent PRC ethics survey, included but not limited to the raw result data and any written comments turned in by employees as part of the survey."

In a written response to the request, PRC Administrative Services Division director Juan Rios on Thursday denied the request for the surveys, saying some of the responses "contain comments, allegations, opinions and viewpoints which exceeded the survey's extent and varied from its scope. Some responses contain allegations of wrongdoing, violations of state policies and derogatory comments about other employees, former and current."

The unsubstantiated allegations and opinions may prompt internal investigations, Rios said.

Of the roughly 250 people who work for the regulatory agency, 127 people responded to the survey, which didn't ask for a respondent's name.

The impetus for the survey was to help the agency improve itself, commission Chairman Sandy Jones said earlier this month.

The survey, which asked for comments about the agency, posed questions about ethics and appropriate work behavior, including whether it's ethical for a commissioner to ask an employee to do a special favor for an entity that is regulated by the commission.

Other questions included whether it's OK for a supervisor to ask an employee to look the other way while another worker leaves early every day without recording that on a time sheet.

The compilation of results is expected to be released Monday after a meeting of the panel's ethics committee.

The five-member elected commission, which regulates industries such as insurance, utilities and transportation, has seen its share of scandal. Commissioner Jerome Block Jr. in April was indicted on election-related charges. Commissioner Carol Sloan faces charges of battery, burglary and damage to property after allegedly attacking another woman in July. Commissioner Sandy Jones caught heat recently for hiring a felon. A sexual harassment lawsuit against Commissioner David King was settled for $850,000. And past commissioners and employees have also been the subject of unfavorable headlines.

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Read her blog at www.greenchilechatter.com.