Bruce Malott
There’s a new bribery allegation related to the investment scandal that rocked the administration of former Gov. Bill Richardson.
The Albuquerque Journal has the story:
“A former high-paid state investment adviser, who has admitted directing deals to benefit political players, received a $10,000 cash bribe from Anthony Correra, according to court documents filed Thursday.
“Saul Meyer, founding partner of Aldus Equity Advisors of Dallas, discussed receiving an envelope from Correra in a 2006 telephone conversation with his then-partner Matthew O’Reilly.”
A transcript of that phone conversation was filed in court Thursday as part of former Educational Retirement Board Chairman Bruce Malott’s lawsuit against Meyer, Correra and his son, and others accusing them of corruption and racketeering.
Read the full Journal article here.
This is the latest revelation in a scandal that’s been ongoing for more than two years – one that law enforcement is investigating. An audio recording that recently came out in another civil case related to the investment scandal included this quote from Saul Meyer:
“To think that Anthony (Correra) and Marc (Correra) don’t have a stranglehold over this thing is crazy. Because the governor runs this sh*t and they run the governor.”
The Correras were well-connected. Anthony was a close friend of and adviser to Richardson. His son, Marc, shared in at least $22 million in so-called “finder’s fees” paid by companies that won state investment contracts.
As for Meyer, he pleaded guilty in 2009 to felonies in New York related to an investment scandal there. In doing so, Meyer admitted to recommending ‘investments that were pushed on him by politically-connected individuals in New Mexico’ while Aldus was the investment adviser to New Mexico’s State Investment Council and Educational Retirement Board.
Richardson, of course, is apparently under investigation by at least two federal grand juries. One is focused on the investment deals.