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SANTA FE — Lawyers with a New Mexico firm that has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from state contracts are among the top contributors to Gov. Bill Richardson's presidential campaign.

The firm of Sutin, Thayer and Browne has received at least $750,000 from the state for providing legal services to the Richardson administration under two contracts since mid-2005.

Lawyers with the firm have donated $36,465 to Richardson's campaign.

A number of large donors to Richardson's campaign do business with state government or have an interest in legislation, which at least one critic says creates the appearance of favoritism.

Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for the governor, denied the allegation, saying Richardson "had no role with any contract that the Sutin law firm has with the state."

Jay Rosenblum, president and CEO of the firm, said it "has had a long supportive relationship with the governor," as well as previous Democratic and Republican administrations. He stressed that the contributions to the presidential campaign had nothing to do with the firm's business dealings with state government.

The law firm earned $560,600 under a contract with the Transportation Department for legal services on development projects on state land from June 2005 through October 2007, the state says.

The firm also received $210,000 during the last budget year for serving as "disclosure counsel" for the state Board of Finance.

Richardson is the board's chairman and appoints a majority of its members. He was absent from two meetings in 2006 when the board unanimously selected the law firm as its disclosure counsel and awarded the contract.

The Transportation Department, which is run by a gubernatorial appointee, hired the firm through a competitive bidding process in April 2005.

"It seems to be the perpetual motto of the Richardson administration has been pay-to-play," said Scott Darnell, spokesman for the state Republican Party. "Those who tend to contribute to his political campaign tend to be the ones who are doing business with the state and getting state contracts. Frankly it shouldn't be that way."

Among other contributions to Richardson's campaign:

• $29,800 from officers, executives and lawyers of the BGK Group, a Santa Fe real estate company. The state leases properties from the company that are used to house two government offices.

• $24,850 from lawyers and lobbyists with the Denver law firm of Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck, which was selected last year as bond counsel for the Board of Finance and lobbies in New Mexico and Washington, D.C.

• $13,800 from executives of the Verde Group, an El Paso company planning a residential and commercial development on 22,000 acres in southern New Mexico. The Richardson administration has been supportive of the real estate venture as a way to boost economic development along the international border with Mexico. The company had intended to ask the Board of Finance and lawmakers in next year's session to approve a plan for taxpayer-subsidized bonds for streets and other infrastructure. However, that financing arrangement has been put on hold. Subsidiaries of Verde and a Verde executive contributed about $66,000 to Richardson's gubernatorial re-election campaign in 2006.