It’s going from bad to worse for Governor Bill Richardson (subscription):
Gov. Bill Richardson said Thursday the state Transportation Department’s headquarters project hasn’t been tainted by campaign contributions and fundraising help from developer Gerald Peters.
“Of course not,” he said in response to a question during a news conference.
“Look, I’ve said it before. There’s no connection between donations and what happens in state government,” Richardson said. “That’s always been an established principle.”
You know he’s right. He has had to say it before – many, many times. There was that Guy Riordan problem. And, who can forget the Santa Fe Reporter’s article on All the Governor’s Men? Then there are all those state government jobs that were created for the Bill Richardson’s favorite donors. Oh, and I almost forgot about that time that more than a few eyebrows were raised when “a developer’s family members and their businesses contributed at least $130,000 to Gov. Bill Richardson’s campaign several months after a family business was granted direct access to a city thoroughfare for a shopping-center project.”
Well, at least the Governor has assured us that there is no connection between donations and what happens in state government.