ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Records show that a political figure at the center of a Las Cruces judicial scandal was in regular contact with then-Gov. Bill Richardson's office to offer his input on appointments to the bench in Dona Ana County. The Albuquerque Journal reports that emails and a tapeecorded interview released to the newspaper under the Inspection of Public Records Request show that, at the very least, real estate man Edgar Lopez believed he was the man to see if someone wanted to garner a judicial appointment in Dona Ana County.
Lopez, a Richardson fundraiser, said in a telephone interview last week that the emails were just “personal recommendations.'' Lopez was never charged with a crime in the bribery case brought by a special prosecutor, Clovis District Attorney Matt Chandler.
