Richardson withdraws as Secretary of Commerce

Earlier today, Governor Bill Richardson informed President-elect Barack Obama that he is withdrawing from consideration as Secretary of Commerce. Richardson's withdrawal comes on the heels of a grand jury investigation into a company that did business with the state of New Mexico.

Gov. Bill Richardson has dropped his plans to be commerce secretary for President-elect Barack Obama, his office confirmed this afternoon.

Richardson's office released a statement this afternoon saying the governor was withdrawing his name as an investigation of a company that did business with the state is pending.

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A grand jury in Albuquerque reportedly is looking into a possible "pay-to-play" connection between a Beverly Hills financial company's large contributions to Richardson political action committees and nearly $1.5 million the company received for work on a state road-building program.

You can find statements from President-elect Obama and Governor Richardson here.

This is sad news on a couple of fronts for me. One, is that Bill Richardson is the highest profile Latino elected official in the country, and that the best and brightest of that community isn't going to be in the Cabinet is a loss to the country.

And as someone who invested two years of my life into campaigning for Richardson and coordinating his campaign in Washington state, it's a blow to see someone who I once believed would be President, then Vice-President, then a member of the Cabinet, end up with nothing despite all of my best efforts.

We can't win them all, and we can't stop trying.