Former Gov. Bill Richardson (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
Former Gov. Bill Richardson says any suggestion that campaign contributions influenced his judicial appointments is “outrageous and defamatory.”
“Campaign contributions never influenced my appointments,” Richardson said Tuesday in a statement provided to The Santa Fe New Mexican and some other media outlets, but not NMPolitics.net.
The statement is Richardson’s first comment on the bribery case against Third Judicial District Judge Mike Murphy. A grand jury indicted Murphy Friday on third-degree felony charges of demanding or receiving a bribe by a public employee; bribery of a public officer or employee; and bribery, intimidation, or retaliation against a witness, in addition to a fourth-degree felony charge of criminal solicitation.
Prosecutors allege that Murphy solicited a bribe from potential judicial applicant Beverly Singleman, told District Judge Lisa Schultz to tell Singleman she needed to pay the bribe, and threatened to destroy Singleman’s reputation for telling others that he solicited a bribe from her.
Murphy also allegedly said he paid money to get his appointment from Richardson in 2006. The money allegedly went to Las Cruces politico Edgar Lopez, who Murphy said gave it to Richardson. At this time, Murphy isn’t charged with paying a bribe. The charges all center on his statements to and about Singleman.
Prosecutors have not said whether they believe the alleged scheme extended beyond Doña Ana County. No one except Murphy, including Lopez and Richardson, has been charged or received notice that they may be indicted in the case, but the investigation is ongoing.
The statement from Murphy about the cash going to Richardson is one of many from witnesses in the case that raises questions about whether the former governor may have been involved.
Schultz, who reported the situation to law enforcement, wrote in a journal turned over to investigators that she believed the alleged bribery scheme went all the way to Richardson. That’s why she didn’t report Murphy to the state’s Judicial Standards Commission. More than half of the members are appointed by the governor.
According to an incident report about the case, Schultz wrote that she believed “the scheme also involved Governor Richardson,” and she did not feel comfortable “turning in Governor Richardson to his own board.”
Richardson’s full statement
Here’s Richardson’s full statement, courtesy of The New Mexican:
“I appointed judges through an extensive process, including a thorough vetting first by the judicial nominating commission and then by my legal staff of the candidates that were nominated to me. I personally interviewed every candidate and appointed based on merit. I appointed 113 judges, including several Republicans, and the general consensus in the legal community is that we selected excellent judges who had to prove themselves to voters in elections. Campaign contributions never influenced my appointments, and any suggestion to the contrary is outrageous and defamatory.”
A prior version of this article incorrectly stated that Murphy is charged with paying a bribe for his position.