delete

[kpete]

AP: Bill Richardson Under Federal Investigation
by Setrak
Tue Dec 16, 2008 at 04:40:10 PM PST

According to Mark Evans of the Associated Press, Bill Richardson is being investigated by a federal grand jury for possible involvement in some "pay to play" activity. Richardson, the Democratic Governor of New Mexico and nominee to be Barack Obama's Commerce Secretary, wouldn't confirm the grand jury investigation but his office did acknowledge the questions surrounding the New Mexico Finance Authority.

CDR Financial Products contributed to in the past to Richardson's political coffers. CDR was paid $1.5 million from 2004 to 2005 for its contract work with the state in bond management, and there's some speculation that the timing of these two transactions is curious.

CDR and its CEO, David Rubin, have contributed at least $110,000 to three political committees formed by Richardson, according to an AP review of campaign finance records.

The largest donation, $75,000, was made by CDR in June 2004 - a couple of months after the transportation financing arrangement won state approval - to a political committee that Richardson established before the Democratic National Convention that year.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/RICHARDSON_DONOR_GRAND_JURY?SITE=OKPON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/12/16/192218/47/418/673847