Former New Mexico Democrat Governor Bill Richardson died late this week. He was 75 years old.
Richardson, who was a U.N. Ambassador during the Clinton administration, also ran for president in 2008 and spent 14 years representing New Mexico’s 3rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mickey Bergman, Vice President of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, said in a statement that Richardson died in his sleep on Friday night at his home in Chatham, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.
“He lived his entire life in the service of others–including both his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad,” said Bergman. “There was no person that Governor Richardson would not speak with if it held the promise of returning a person to freedom.”
“The world has lost a champion for those held unjustly abroad and I have lost a mentor and a dear friend,” he added.
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Jeffrey Epstein of sex trafficking her, said in a sworn deposition in 2016 that Epstein directed her to have sex with Richardson while he was governor. Epstein owned a massive 8,000-acre ranch in the state.
Richardson was never charged with a crime and a spokesperson for Richardson said at the time that the allegations were “completely false.”
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U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who previously represented the same U.S. House seat as Richardson, praised him in a statement.
“Governor Richardson was a giant in public service and government — serving as a member of Congress, United Nations Ambassador, Cabinet Secretary, and governor,” Luján said. “In his post-government career, he was trusted to handle some of the most sensitive diplomatic crises, and he did so with great success. Here in New Mexico, we will always remember him as our governor. He never stopped fighting for the state he called home.”
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said Richardson was “a visionary who saw the potential of our great state before so many others did.”
“He saw us taking on Hollywood and reaching for the stars, launching both the film and space industries that continue to reap significant economic benefits today,” she said. “His reputation preceded him around the globe: Bill Richardson is someone who gets things done.”
“For my own part, Bill was a mentor and advisor who was instrumental in my own journey into elected office,” she continued. “He was a steadfast friend who celebrated my successes, and someone I could turn to in those moments when leading is particularly challenging.”