This article has been updated.
Gov. Bill Richardson again ducked questions today about a federal grand jury investigation into the awarding of a lucrative state contract to a California company that made big contributions to political action committees he formed.
It’s the second time the commerce secretary-designate has refused to talk about the probe. On Monday, Richardson also refused to answer a question about the probe from the New Mexico Independent’s Trip Jennings.
Jennings and the Santa Fe New Mexican’s Steve Terrell were present for Richardson’s dodging of questions at a news conference held today on a separate topic. Richardson’s refusal to answer questions at the end of the news conference was recounted by Jennings in a blog posting this afternoon:
“Richardson’s departure was quick. A reporter told him, ‘You know we have to ask you about CDR’ (as in CDR Financial, the company at the center of the investigation) and Richardson rose from his chair and quickly walked out of the room without making eye contact. Before he got through the door, one reporter asked if Richardson had been subpoenaed by a grand jury reportedly empanelled to examine a contract,” Jennings wrote. “Richardson did not stop to take the question.”
Jennings wrote that Richardson’s “abrupt departure was out of character for a governor who usually lingers at the end of news conferences to shake hands and mingle with individuals in the room. But on Tuesday he never made eye contact with the reporters.”
Terrell, in his own blog posting, characterized it this way:
“However, right after announcing a new solar facility in Belen and taking a few questions about that project, Richardson announced the conference was over and bolted out of the room, ignoring questions about the grand jury,” he wrote.
Terrell pointed out an irony about the event:
“Ironically, the new solar project will be part of the Rancho Cielo project, right off a planned new interchange off I-25,” he wrote. “That interchange prompted news stories a couple of years ago because the developers, RS Investments, now known as Coast Range Investments contributed $75,000 to Richardson’s 2006 re-election campaign.”
“Richardson might think questions about this will go away if he just ignores the questions,” Terrell concluded. “But I don’t think so.”
Agreed.
Update, Dec. 17, 10 a.m.
Here’s video of Richardson dodging questions: