Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has died at the age of 75. Richardson also served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, energy secretary, and spent 14 years in Congress, including a period as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Richardson also went on dozens of humanitarian missions to help secure the release of Americans held overseas, including trips to Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, Colombia, Sudan, North Korea and Russia, where he helped free the WNBA star Brittney Griner. As energy secretary, Richardson faced criticism for his handling of the arrest of the Taiwanese American nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee, who was held for 278 days in solitary confinement after being falsely accused of being a Chinese spy. Wen Ho Lee eventually pleaded guilty to a minor charge. At the time, a federal judge issued a dramatic apology to Wen Ho Lee, but Richardson would continue to defend his handling of the case. Richardson appeared on Democracy Now! in 2005.
Gov. Bill Richardson: “I believe that we acted properly in safeguarding our nuclear secrets. He was convicted on several counts. There were some mistakes in that case. It involved the entire federal government, and I stand behind everything that I did.”
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