LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico judge charged with bribery in a scandal tied to former Gov. Bill Richardson pleaded not guilty on Friday, then was booked, fingerprinted and ordered to hand over his passport.
State District Judge Michael Murphy is accused of telling a potential judicial candidate that if she wanted a seat on the bench she needed to donate to the Democratic Party through a political activist linked to Richardson.
Allegations in a special prosecutor's report imply the practice was common in the district during Richardson's time in office and that Edgar Lopez of Las Cruces delivered the payments to the former governor. Special prosecutor Matt Chandler has said the investigation is ongoing.
Richardson called the accusations "outrageous and defamatory" and said the 113 judges selected while he was governor were chosen solely on merit. For his part, Murphy, who was not jailed, declined comment after the hearing, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. Lopez has not returned calls from The Associated Press seeking comment. The judicial candidate Beverly Singleman also has not responded to calls from the AP.
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