Report: Richardson gave money to Blagojevich's re-election campaign

Steve Terrell | The New Mexican

1/8/2009 - 1/8/09

The governors of New Mexico and Illinois have more in common more than just "pay-to-play" controversies over political fund-raising: they've also shared some money provided by donors.

Records show that Richardson's campaign contributed $20,000 to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's political action committee, Friends of Blagojevich.

Richardson recently announced he was withdrawing his nomination by President-elect Barack Obama as U.S. Commerce secretary because of a grand jury investigation that reportedly centers on a company that gave money to Richardson political committees and was paid substantial fees for doing work for the state government.

Blagojevich recently was accused of using his power to appoint Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate as a fund-raising tool.

The contribution to Friends of Blagojevich, dated Nov. 6, 2006 — one day before the election — was reported in Dec. 2006 by Richardson's re-election campaign.

Richardson won that election with nearly 70 percent of the vote. In that race he raised more than $13 million.

It's not uncommon for politicians to contribute to each other's campaigns. Much of Richardson's campaign money that year went to other Democrats in New Mexico plus Democratic organizations in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, where Richardson would spend much of the next year campaigning for president.

Neither Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos nor re-election campaign official Amanda Cooper could immediately be reached for comment.

A federal grand jury in Albuquerque is investigating whether there was pressure in 2004 to hire CDR Financial Products, a California company that did work on state Transportation bonds. The company and its chief executive officer David Rubin contributed more than $100,000 to Richardson political committees.

In Illinois, Blagojevich was arrested in December after federal investigators caught him on a wiretap discussing selling Obama's open Senate seat. A federal prosecutor said Obama is not suspected in any wrongdoing in that case.

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog at roundhouseroundup.com