Happy Holidays, Bill “Judas” Richardson

Uppity Woman on December 15 2008, alerted No Quarter readers to the Department of Justice’s investigation of alleged “pay to play” schemes involving New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Obama’s choice for Secretary of Commerce, and CDR, a company that relies on contracts funded by taxpayer dollars for private profit. She quotes Bloomberg News:

Dec. 15 (Bloomberg) — A Federal grand jury is investigating how a company that advised Jefferson County, Alabama, on bond deals that threaten to cause the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, did similar work in New Mexico after making contributions to Governor Bill Richardson’s political action committees.

The grand jury in Albuquerque is looking into Beverly Hills, California-based CDR Financial CDR Financial Products Inc., which received almost $1.5 million in fees from the New Mexico Finance Authority in 2004 after donating $100,000 to Richardson’s efforts to register Hispanic and American Indian voters and pay for expenses at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, people familiar with the matter said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation asked current and former officials from the state agency if any staff members in the governor’s office influenced CDR’s hiring, said the people, who declined to be identified because the proceedings are secret. Richardson, who is President-elect Barack Obama’s designate for Commerce Secretary, has a staff of at least 30 people.

The designate for Commerce Secretary, according to Bloomberg News, is embroiled in a scandal involving a company that caused the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. History. Now there is some change in which Obamabots can believe. No wonder why Bill “Judas” Richardson has been avoiding reporters. I quote the December 17, 2008, edition of Sante Fe New Mexican:

As has been well reported by myself and others, at a news conference about a new solar energy production facility in Belen, Richardson took a few questions about the new project. Then he announced the news conference was over and made a beeline for the door.

I was on the wrong end of the big marble table in the Governor’s Cabinet Room, so I was hoping some of my colleagues would be able to block the governor’s retreat for a few seconds so I could reach him. But Richardson went through them like a knife through hot butter, not acknowledging the questions. He ignored questions about the investigation shouted at him and, according to reporters near him at the time, never made eye contact.

As a former crime reporter, I knew better than to expect any answers about the grand jury proceeding and what he might have said or didn’t say to investigators. The question I had for Richardson — who is President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for secretary of commerce — was whether he had discussed the matter with Obama before, during or after the vetting process. I’m especially curious whether Obama has contacted him about the grand jury since the news broke in the national media.

Richardson is a bit petulant these days, steamrolling over reporters he refuses to acknowledge. Is this the manner whereby an innocent man behaves? Is this government transparency?

But what of the questions the Santa Fe New Mexican reporter poses? Did Bill Richardson complete one of the Obama administration’s questionnaires? Did he alert the Obama administration to this investigation? And does Obama desire to nominate a man whose relation to a company that created the largest municipal bankruptcy in US History is now the subject of a federal probe to Secretary of Commerce? Is this yet another symptom of Barack Obama’ lack of judgment? Will this create problems for Obama?

We might have to wait until the Senate confirmation hearings to get those answers.

I hope Bill Richardson does not view US Senators as so many pads of warm butter through which he can knife. And I hope Barack Obama will explain why he nominated someone who is the subject of a federal probe to Secretary of Commerce. After all, Obama vetted him with a seven page questionnaire.

Today’s edition of The Beverly Hills Courier provides a list of all the donations CDR submitted to Richardson for what appears to be access to New Mexico State contracts. I quote:

According to reports, CDR and Chief Executive Officer David Rubin gave at least $110,000 to three political groups created by Richardson, the largest of which was a reported $75,000 from CDR given to a committee that helped pay expenses for Richardson’s staff and supporters at the 2004 Democratic convention, of which Richardson was chairman.

Rubin reportedly contributed $25,000 in October 2003 to a political committee called Moving America Forward that was backed by Richardson. That donation apparently came at a time when the New Mexico legislature was discussing the transportation construction program.

Rubin also donated $10,000 to Richardson’s re-election campaign, reports said.

Happy Holidays, Judas. We look forward to viewing your confirmation hearing for Secretary of Commerce, where information regarding your potential “pay to play” relationship with CDR, a company responsible for the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history, will be analyzed and discussed. And good luck fielding questions from your political enemies who sit on the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, the committee that will vet your record and qualifications.

Judas Iscariot: the man who kept account of the money bag, and the man responsible for Jesus’ betrayal into the hands of Roman authorities. I guess James Carville referred to a lot more than just the betrayal of the Clintons when he dismissed Bill Richardson as a “Judas”. Manager of the money bags of New Mexico, Judas may have betrayed the people he ostensibly represents. And now Barack Obama hopes Judas will serve as Secretary of Commerce.

Will Judas betray the Messiah? Will Richardson betray Obama and the taxpayers of the United States? And is it inappropriate for me to pose these questions on the eve of the birthday of the man Judas betrayed?