Bill Richardson
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will not face criminal charges in a yearlong investigation into pay-to-play allegations involving one of his donors, a person familiar with the case told The Associated Press.
According to the AP:
The decision not to pursue indictments was made by top Justice Department officials, according to a person familiar with the investigation, who asked not to be identified because federal officials had not disclosed results of the probe.
“It’s over. There’s nothing. It was killed in Washington,” the person told The Associated Press.
Richardson, who was in line to become commerce secretary in the Obama administration, withdrew his name as a result of the probe. The governor professed innocence but said the investigation would delay his confirmation.
The federal grand jury investigation began in 2008. Authorities sought to determine whether the selection of California-based CDR Financial Products as an adviser on state transportation bond transactions was influenced by political contributions. Investigators also reviewed whether Richardson’s former chief of staff, David Contarino, was involved in the hire.
The post was updated on 9/4/09.
