Free Republic

Gov. Bill Richardson's office Thursday would neither confirm nor deny reports the governor has hired a lawyer to represent him in a grand jury investigation over a possible "pay-to-play" scheme involving a state transportation and highway program. KRQE, Channel 13, reported Wednesday that Richardson had hired Albuquerque lawyer Peter Schoenburg as his legal counsel in the grand jury case. The grand jury, as reported by The Associated Press and other news organizations this week, is looking into a possible connection between a Beverly Hills, Calif., financial company's large contributions to Richardson political action committees and nearly $1.5 million the company...

A federal grand jury will convene in Albuquerque Tuesday to look a possible "pay-to-play" relationship between Gov. Bill Richardson's administration and a California financial firm hired to advise state government, according to separate reports. The company, CDR Financial Products, was paid almost $1.5 million to advise the state on complicated bond transactions and to manage an escrow account. The firm also donated nearly $100,000 to Richardson political action committees. News 13 has learned that the FBI and federal prosecutors have been investigating CDR's activities in New Mexico since last summer. The thrust of the investigation is whether the company paid...

The FBI is investigating how a California firm won a state consulting contract worth almost $1 million in connection with the massive GRIP transportation bond program. Agents have been interviewing people involved in awarding contracts to CDR Financial Products LLC, and are looking at its political contributions to political action committees established by Gov. Bill Richardson. The $1.6 billion GRIP bond program is one of the biggest in state history and has been used to pay for road improvements and the Rail Runner commuter train. GRIP stands for Governor Richardson's Investment Partnership and was approved by the Legislature during a...