{"id":4095,"date":"2009-01-04T13:23:00","date_gmt":"2009-01-04T19:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2009\/01\/citing-probe-guv-withdraws-from-commerce-job\/"},"modified":"2009-01-04T13:23:00","modified_gmt":"2009-01-04T19:23:00","slug":"citing-probe-guv-withdraws-from-commerce-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2009\/01\/citing-probe-guv-withdraws-from-commerce-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Citing probe, guv withdraws from commerce job"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Richardson plans to keep his job as governor of New Mexico and says grand jury investigation will reveal no wrongdoing<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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This article has been updated.<\/p>\n

Bill Richardson<\/a>, who was President-elect Barack Obama\u2019s<\/a> choice for commerce secretary, withdrew his name from consideration for the position today because of an ongoing federal investigation into allegations of pay-to-play in his administration, NBC News is reporting.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me say unequivocally that I and my administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact,\u201d NBC News\u2019 Andrea Mitchell quoted Richardson as saying in an exclusive report<\/a>. \u201cBut I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process.\u201d<\/p>\n

No date had been set for Richardson\u2019s confirmation hearing, and pressure on the governor has been escalating as national media outlets have been shining increasing light<\/a> on the grand jury investigation in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

Richardson, according to the statement provided to NBC News, plans to continue in his role as governor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate the confidence President-elect Obama has shown in me, and value our friendship and working partnership. I told him that I am eager to serve in the future in any way he deems useful. And like all Americans, I pray for his success and the success of our beloved country,\u201d NBC News quoted Richardson as saying.<\/p>\n

Spokesmen and spokeswomen for Richardson and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish<\/a>, who was set to become the state\u2019s first woman to serve as governor, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Associated Press<\/a> was also independently reporting on Richardson\u2019s withdrawal.<\/p>\n

Obama, according to Mitchell\u2019s report, said he accepted Richardson\u2019s decision to withdraw with \u201cdeep regret.\u201d He did not immediately name a new choice for the commerce job.<\/p>\n

\u201cGov. Richardson is an outstanding public servant and would have brought to the job of commerce secretary and our economic team great insights accumulated through an extraordinary career in federal and state office,\u201d NBC News quoted the president-elect as saying.<\/p>\n

What started as an FBI probe is now a full-fledged grand jury investigation<\/a> into whether there is any connection between the state\u2019s awarding of a lucrative contract to a California company and sizeable contributions the company made to political action committees formed by Richardson. CDR Financial<\/a> earned almost $1.5 million advising the state on interest-rate swaps and other business related to $1.6 billion in bonds appropriated for a massive transportation project.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in 2003 and 2004, CDR Financial gave $75,000 to Richardson\u2019s political action committee Si Se Puede!, and the company\u2019s head, David Rubin, gave $25,000 to Moving America Forward, another Richardson PAC.<\/p>\n

The grand jury has already heard testimony from officials at J.P. Morgan, who worked with the state and CDR, and from officials with Richardson\u2019s PACs.<\/p>\n

No information released publicly has directly linked Richardson to the probe, but the investigation centers around whether staffers in Richardson\u2019s office influenced the hiring of CDR. The governor has repeatedly ducked questions<\/a> about the investigation.<\/p>\n

Mitchell, in her report, said Richardson was hesitant to withdraw his name from consideration for the position, and called the development \u201ca major setback for a shining political career.\u201d Richardson is a former congressman, U.N. ambassador and energy secretary. According to Mitchell, Richardson \u201ccertainly could become a backup choice for a future role\u201d in the Obama administration if he is cleared.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the video of Mitchell\u2019s report:<\/p>\n

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