Seems Richardson is withdrawing his bid to be secretary of Commerce.
Via MSNBC:
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, tapped in December by President-elect Barack Obama to serve as secretary of Commerce, has withdrawn his name for the position, citing a pending investigation into a company that has done business with his state.
“Let me say unequivocally that I and my Administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact,” he said Sunday in a report by NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell. “But I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process.”
Yeah, you withdrew, because your fat ass was guilty.
A federal grand jury is investigating how a California company that contributed to Richardson’s political activities won a New Mexico state contract worth more than $1 billion. Richardson said in a statement issued by the Obama transition office that the investigation could take weeks or months but expressed confidence it will show he and his administration acted properly.
Richardson said he plans to continue in his role as governor. “I 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.”
The announcement came ahead of Obama’s Monday meetings with congressional leaders on a massive economic recovery bill he wants lawmakers to pass quickly.
Obama said Sunday he accepted Richardson’s decision to withdraw with ‘deep regret.’
“Governor 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,” Obama said.
Obama gave no indication whom he might name to replace Richardson as the nominee but said “we must move quickly to fill the void left by Governor Richardson’s decision.”
A person familiar with the proceedings has told The Associated Press that the grand jury is looking into possible “pay-to-play” dealings between CDR Financial Products and someone in a position to push the contract through with the state of New Mexico.
State documents show CDR was paid a total of $1.48 million in 2004 and 2005 for its work on a transportation program.
Richardson ran against Obama in the Democratic presidential primary, but withdrew after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. He later endorsed Obama in his primary campaign against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama’s nominee for secretary of state.
He is one of the most prominent Hispanics in the Democratic Party, having served in Congress and as President Bill Clinton’s ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary. As governor, he has kept up an international profile with a specialty in dealing with rogue nations. Obama also considered him to be secretary of state.
CDR and its CEO, David Rubin, have contributed at least $110,000 to three political committees formed by Richardson, according to an AP review of campaign finance records.
The largest donation, $75,000, was made by CDR in June 2004 — a couple of months after the transportation financing arrangement won state approval — to a political committee that Richardson established before the Democratic National Convention that year.
Here’s hope that they nail that taco-headed mother fuckers balls to the damn wall. Of course, they won’t, he’s most likely well fed funded by George Soros and his group of Communist Liberal idiots. So, he won’t see any jail time. But on a positive note, there won’t be as many Liberal moonbats in the White House or the Government for that matter. Score one of justice, I suppose.
Seems every person that Obambi has contact with, is some crooked made politician. Which is so fucking typical of the Democrats anymore. FDR would be rolling over in a his grave.
Update: According to Jack Tapper team Bambi said they were mislead:
Sources tell ABC News that officials on the Obama Transition Team feel that before he was formally offered the job of commerce secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was not forthcoming with them about the federal investigation that is looking into whether the governor steered a state contract towards a major financial contributor.
Once the investigation became more widely known through national media reports last month, sources tell ABC News, the Obama Transition Team realized the FBI would not be able to give Richardson a clean political bill of health before the new administration is ready to send his nomination up to the Senate for confirmation.
The Richardson camp says the governor was forthcoming, with sources close to the governor noting that there had been reports about the controversy in local media such as the Albuquerque Journal as far back as August 2008. The governor discussed the investigation with the Obama team, they say, and believes that he and his administration have done nothing wrong.
From 2004 to 2005, CDR Financial Products, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based company founded and run by David Rubin, received nearly $1.5 million through the New Mexico Finance Authority for advising the state in a complex highway funding project pushed by Richardson. In roughly that same time period, CDR and Rubin gave approximately $100,000 to political organizations run by Richardson, including one that paid for his and his staff’s expenses at the 2004 Democratic convention. Neither the grand jury nor the FBI has interviewed Richardson.
President-elect Obama did not ask Richardson to withdraw his name from consideration, sources from both camps say, but the fact that the confirmation seemed untenable in the short term was apparent to everyone involved.
There were some discussions about whether the confirmation process could be delayed a few months until the investigation concluded, sources say, but it became clear that wouldn’t happen any time soon, and no one wanted to be seen as pressuring law enforcement officials to wrap up their investigation.
The governor spoke with the president-elect several times over the weekend, their last conversation being Saturday, when Richardson told Obama he was withdrawing his name from consideration.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Democrats. Hope and Change, Deceit and Corruption! What a joke! 🙄
Oh and in case anyone has forgotten, this joker also tried to run for President. Wouldn’t that have been a nice little present to the Republicans. If he had won? I could see the headlines now! 😀
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