He was 75.
The Richardson Center for Global Engagement, which he founded and led, said in a statement Saturday that he died in his sleep at his home in Chatham, Massachusetts.
Richardson also traveled the globe as an unofficial diplomatic troubleshooter, negotiating the release of hostages and American servicemen from North Korea, Iraq, Cuba and Sudan. He bargained with a who’s who of America’s adversaries, including Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. It was a role that Richardson relished, once describing himself as “the informal undersecretary for thugs.”
Other accomplishments as governor included $50,000-a-year minimum salaries for the most qualified teachers in New Mexico, an increase in the state minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.50 an hour, pre-kindergarten programs for 4-year-olds, renewable energy requirements for utilities and financing for large infrastructure projects, including a commercial spaceport in southern New Mexico and a $400 million commuter rail system.
Lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, complained that Richardson threatened retribution against those who opposed him. Democratic state Sen. Tim Jennings of Roswell once said Richardson was “beating people over the head” in his dealings with lobbyists on a health care issue. Richardson dismissed criticisms of his administrative style.
After dropping out of the 2008 presidential race, Richardson endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. That happened despite a long-standing friendship with the Clintons. Richardson approved Lee’s firing at Los Alamos in 1999. Lee spent nine months in solitary confinement, charged with 59 counts of mishandling sensitive information. Lee later pleaded guilty to one count of mishandling computer files and was released with the apology of a federal judge.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bill Richardson, a former governor and UN ambassador who worked to free detained Americans, diesBill Richardson, a two-term Democratic governor of New Mexico who later served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and dedicated his post-political career to working to free Americans detained overseas, has died.
Read more »
Bill Richardson, a former governor and UN ambassador who worked to free detained Americans, diesBill Richardson, a two-term Democratic governor of New Mexico who later served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and dedicated his post-political career to working to free Americans detained overseas, has died
Read more »
Bill Richardson, a former governor and UN ambassador who worked to free detained Americans, diesBill Richardson, a two-term Democratic governor of New Mexico who later served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and dedicated his post-political career to working to free Americans detained overseas, has died
Read more »
Bill Richardson, a former governor and UN ambassador who worked to free detained Americans, diesBill Richardson, a two-term Democratic governor of New Mexico and a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who dedicated his post-political career to working to free Americans detained overseas, has died.
Read more »
Bill Richardson, a former governor and UN ambassador who worked to free detained Americans, diesBill Richardson, a two-term Democratic governor of New Mexico and a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who dedicated his post-political career to working to free Americans detained overseas, has died.
Read more »