Mark Oswald

Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE - Former Gov. Bill Richardson recalls visiting the southern Santa Fe County mansion of Jeffrey Epstein — the wealthy hedge fund manager arrested recently on new federal charges of sexually abusing young girls — just a single time, a Richardson spokeswoman says.

"They did not know each other well," said Maddy Mahony, director of media relations for Richardson. "To describe them as friends would be inaccurate."

Epstein's relationships with the rich, famous and powerful are being revisited in light of new charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking filed against him in New York.

Federal Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned last week following renewed criticism over a 2008 plea deal with Epstein that he oversaw as the U.S. attorney in Miami. In that case, Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida. He served 13 months in jail, during which he was allowed to go to his office during the day.

Richardson is among the many well-known people listed in Epstein's so-called "little black book," containing phone numbers and other contacts, and which has become part of court records. Epstein also donated $50,000 to each of Richardson's two gubernatorial campaigns, in 2002 and 2006. Richardson re-gifted the 2006 campaign donation to charity as sex-crime accusations against Epstein emerged.

Mahony said that Richardson, to the best of his recollection, went to Epstein's Zorro Ranch near Stanley just once, in 2002 during his first run for governor, and that his wife, Barbara Richardson, went with him. The other people present for a dinner or lunch was a person Richardson understood to be an assistant to Epstein and someone Richardson recalls as an "award-winning scientist," Mahony said.

Richardson's name also has come up in a legal battle between Epstein and Bradley Edwards, a Florida lawyer who represents alleged victims of Epstein in civil litigation. In 2016, Edwards' own attorney filed a witness list that included Richardson, as well as now-President Donald Trump and famed illusionist David Copperfield.

Years earlier, an Edwards affidavit said that Epstein had accused Edwards of trying to bring famous people, including Richardson, into the case without legitimate reasons.

Edwards' affidavit stated: "Richardson was properly identified as a possible witness because Epstein's personal pilot testified to Richardson joining Epstein at Epstein's New Mexico ranch.

"There was information indicating that Epstein had young girls at his ranch which, given the circumstances of the case, raised the reasonable inference he was sexually abusing these girls since he had regularly and frequently abused girls in West Palm Beach and elsewhere. Richardson had also returned campaign donations that were given to him by Epstein, indicating that he believed there was something about Epstein that he did not want to be associated with."

Phone calls Monday to the Epstein pilot named in the affidavit were not returned.

Mahony said Monday that Richardson was unaware that he'd been listed as a possible witness in the Epstein litigation and was never contacted about it. She also said Richardson has never been a passenger on an Epstein plane, as former President Bill Clinton and other celebrities were.

Edwards' affidavit became the basis for a court filing in 2010 that said Epstein invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to answer dozens of questions about the allegations against him and his associations, including "Do you know President Clinton personally?" and "How many minors have you procured for prostitution?" and "Did you ever have damaging evidence in your garbage?"

Epstein also took the Fifth when asked if he had ever socialized with Richardson "in the presence of females under the age of 18."

While in civil suits Epstein has been accused of sexually abusing girls at Zorro Ranch, he has not been charged with committing crimes in New Mexico. The state Attorney General's Office is now investigating and has been in contact with alleged victims.

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