A former deputy campaign manager with former Gov. Bill Richardson's presidential campaign and an Albuquerque restaurateur and developer appeared before a federal grand jury looking into possible wrongdoing by the state's former chief executive.

But neither Amanda Cooper nor Jimmy Daskalos had anything to say as they entered and left the Pete V. Domenici federal courthouse Tuesday in Albuquerque.

Cooper is the stepdaughter of U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and worked as Richardson's deputy campaign manager during his presidential run. Cooper also worked on Richardson's 2006 re-election campaign for governor.

Daskalos, who has owned Yanni's, a prominent Albuquerque restaurant, with Richardson insider Nick Kapnison, was a fundraiser for the former governor.

Cooper and Daskalos were the only witnesses observed entering or exiting the grand jury room Tuesday, although other individuals had been rumored to be in line to testify.

Other than a small group of journalists who greeted Cooper and Daskalos, there were no signs that anything important was happening behind closed doors at the courthouse.

It was unclear what questions Cooper and Daskalos were asked, if any, and to what they testified. Grand jury proceedings are secret.

Several news outlets have reported that the federal grand jury is investigating accusations that Richardson raised $250,000 from supporters to quiet a woman who had threatened to file a sexual-harassment complaint.

According to several news reports, at the core of the latest investigation are possible violations of federal campaign-finance laws.

The Albuquerque Journal was the first to report on the investigation last month, publishing a story that said if money from Richardson's supporters was used to help keep a woman quiet, the investigation "would seek to determine who raised it, how it was tied to the Richardson campaign and how it was paid to the woman."

The Albuquerque Journal and The New York Times, which also has written about the inquiry, have suggested that several people with links to Richardson had testified before a grand jury in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

According to the Journal, they include campaign contributors with varying degrees of business with the state during the Richardson administration as well as officials involved with his bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

People with knowledge of how the inquiry is progressing are steering clear of making public statements, making it difficult to tease out what, in fact, is happening behind closed doors and whether federal prosecutors are making headway or not.

Richardson, a two-term Democratic governor and onetime Cabinet secretary for President Bill Clinton, has survived scandals before without the filing of criminal charges, including a federal inquiry that caused him to withdraw as President Barack Obama's nominee for commerce secretary in January 2009.

In that inquiry, prosecutors examined how a California company had won New Mexico state contracts. The investigation yielded no criminal charges, although the federal prosecutor in the case issued a letter saying that "pressure from the Governor's Office resulted in the corruption of the procurement process."

Soon after that, Richardson's administration came under scrutiny over how the state's investments were made. According to published reports, that inquiry is ongoing.

Contact Trip Jennings at 986-3050 or at tjennings@sfnewmexican.com.