Former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell should lose his pension because of his felony conviction, the state’s attorney general said Tuesday.
In an advisory opinion sought by Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) said that under a law McDonnell signed in 2011, the ex-governor must relinquish his benefits because he was convicted of a felony related to on-the-job conduct.
“The governor asked for this opinion just to make sure we were clear on the law and the process here, since this is the first time this has happened,” McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy said.
The law, written after a state delegate’s felony conviction on bribery charges, has never been interpreted by a court.
At issue were three things: who employs the state’s governor; when the conviction takes effect — at the time of the jury verdict or after all appeals are exhausted; and which benefits must be forfeited — the pension coming from the job held when the offense was committed or all state pensions and benefits earned.
Former first lady sentenced
RICHMOND — Former Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell was sentenced Friday to a year and a day in federal prison — a penalty less than what federal prosecutors had sought but one that will still put her behind bars briefly.
U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer said he struggled to understand the true nature of the former first lady — who seemed at times to be a loving mother and wife devoted to her family and other times a greedy and tyrannical woman who made others miserable.
“It’s difficult to get to the heart of who Mrs. McDonnell truly is,” Spencer said.
Spencer allowed Maureen McDonnell to remain free on bond while her appeal is pending.
I am not sure it is really up to Judge Spencer to understand Mrs. McDonald nor should figuring her out have any bearing on her sentence. She either did it or she didn’t. (whatever “it” is) I am one of those who do not think either McDonald belongs in jail.
It is highly probable that Mrs. McDonald is greedy and did make everyone around her miserable. Perhaps that is the toll that politics takes on some couples. Money also takes a high toll, especially when the couple is middle class. Mrs. McDonald was expected to dress to the nines, look like a million dollars on a shoestring budget. She was a middle class lady playing on a field of high rollers.
The ex Va Governor’s Mansion: The Divine Soap Opera?
RICHMOND — Former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell (R) and his wife on Tuesday unveiled an unorthodox defense to the federal corruption charges against them: Maureen McDonnell had a “crush” on the charismatic executive who lavished gifts and cash on the couple.
Maureen McDonnell’s intense — even romantic — interest in Jonnie R. Williams Sr. helps explain why she let him pay for expensive shopping trips and vacations for her and her family while she promoted a nutritional supplement he was trying to sell, defense attorneys said during opening statements. She was not hatching a scheme with her husband to get rich by abusing the prestige of the governor’s office; rather, she was a woman in a broken marriage who craved attention.
“Jonnie Williams was larger than life to Maureen McDonnell,” said William Burck, Maureen McDonnell’s lead defense attorney. “But unlike the other man in her life, Jonnie Williams paid attention to Maureen McDonnell.”
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Old Dominion News: McDonnells and Wexton
There are lots of significant developments in Virginia today. Former Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen have both been indicted for accepting money and gifts while McDonnell was governor. The charges are federal. McDonnell maintains his innocence.
This situation is very embarrassing for Virginia. While it doesn’t appear that any Virginia laws have been broken, the feds feel that federal law has been violated.
On a happier note, at least for me, Democrat Jennifer Wexton has won the special election for the vacant seat created when Mark Herring was declared winner of the Attorney General race. This win is significant because the Democrats will control the Virginia Senate if Lt. Governor Ralph Northam’s former seat is won by a Democrat. A special election will be held.
Congratulations, Jennifer.
McDonnell: Virginia National Guard will provide benefits to same-sex married couples
Washingtonpost.com:
RICHMOND — Virginia’s National Guard will provide health insurance and other benefits to same-sex couples, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell said Thursday, one day after a state delegate urged him to defy a new Pentagon directive to treat all marriages equally.
Anyone want to take a wild guess who that delegate crying for defiance is? You got it! Sideshow Bob.
In a letter to McDonnell this week, Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) warned that providing the benefits would violate the state constitutional ban on gay marriage.
“As Commander of the Virginia National Guard[,] what will you do to secure that the spirit and letter of the [state] Constitution regarding marriage will be upheld?” Marshall wrote.
McScoundrel du jour
Wednesday…the gift that keeps on giving. Bobby McScoundrel has his daily announcement:
RICHMOND — Gov. Robert F. McDonnell said Wednesday that his daughter had reimbursed a Virginia businessman for the $15,000 catering tab he picked up for her June 2011 wedding.
McDonnell (R) disclosed the repayment while speaking briefly with reporters after an unrelated event at the state Capitol.
His comment came one day after he said that he intended to return all gifts that Star Scientific chief executive Jonnie R. Williams Sr. had provided to him and his family. It was not initially clear if the gifts he referred to on Tuesday included the payment for wedding catering since at times, McDonnell had talked about returning “tangible gifts.”
The McDonnell family has been under scrutiny since late March, when The Washington Post reported that the governor and first lady Maureen McDonnell had promoted Star’s nutritional supplement about the time Williams paid for catering at Cailin McDonnell’s wedding. The catering tab had become symbolic of the larger gift scandal that has been hanging over McDonnell’s last months in office.
The McScoundrels run up the legal bills
These people just seem to keep costing the taxpayers even more money. Guess who is paying for McDonnell’s private lawyers?
RICHMOND — The private law firm hired to represent Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and his staff in the embezzlement case against the former chef at the governor’s mansion has billed Virginia nearly $54,000 for its first five weeks of work, according to documents released Monday.
About $24,000 of the bill was for legal work performed on behalf of McDonnell (R), said Tony Troy, the firm’s lead attorney on the matter. The remainder was for representation provided to McDonnell’s staff and for handling Freedom of Information requests related to the case, Troy said.
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II appointed Troy’s firm, Richmond-based Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, to represent McDonnell and his office because the attorney general had conflicts of interest related to the chef case. The attorney general ordinarily would represent the governor and state employees.
Anatabloc: Eye of newt, toe of frog? Snake oil, anyone?
Now this is a snake oil salesman if he is hawking this crap. Just the thing to enable my family to toss that expensive celebrex and advil. NOT.
Does Jonnie Williams have a college degree since he is being billed as a great inventer?
This is just amazing. More flat earth society thinking. Tobacco can be ‘turned’ so it is good for you. Where is that bridge for sale again?
Star Scientific scandal extends to VRS
According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, the Virginia Retirement System, VRS, bought 71,900 shares of Star Scientific over a three month period of time.
Last year, the Virginia Retirement System purchased – and sold at a loss — 71,900 shares of Star Scientific stock over a three-month period, VRS head Robert P. Schultze confirmed to the Richmond Times-Dispatch Friday.
Schultze said the $58 billion pension system found no evidence that the governor or any member of his administration influenced its purchase and sale of the Star stock. He said it was the result of decisions made by a VRS investment team using a computer trading program to assess stocks.
VRS made the investment Aug. 28, 2012, a day the stock closed at $3.99 a share. Over the next three months it was sold off in three separate transactions: on October 2, when shares closed at $3.14, and on October 3 when shares closed at $3.23.
Governor Ultra Sound and the Smoking Gun
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Jonnie Williams clearly had advantages that other businessmen did not have. Bob McDonnell has not been particular honest about his dealings. He had access to the Virginia Health Secretary.
Bob McDonnell should be worried. He took a hell of a lot of money from a snake oil salesman–Jonnie Williams. Lung guard and a cure for wrinkles? This guy has a mighty fantastic track record. Basically, he is some folks might also call a crook.
Governor Ultra-Sound: Scandal metastisizes
Enough is enough. How much more is Bob McDonnell going to put the state through in terms of sheer embarrassment? Let’s retrace our steps on this part of the over-all scandal. This guy is unbelievable. No sense of propriety. No sense about conflict of interest.
Remember the state health commissioner who resigned because of the bullying by Ken Cuccinelli?
Gov. Bob McDonnell has found a way to defray part of his monthly real estate expenses on the millions of dollars in property he owns — by renting his western Henrico County home to his hand-picked state health commissioner.
Dr. Cynthia C. Romero, who took over as commissioner in January, has been renting the McDonnells’ $835,000 home in the Wyndham community, a McDonnell spokesman confirmed.
Governor Ultra-Sound or Governor On-the-Take?
RICHMOND — A prominent political donor gave $70,000 to a corporation owned by Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and his sister last year, and the governor did not disclose the money as a gift or loan, according to people with knowledge of the payments.
The donor, wealthy businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr., also gave a previously unknown $50,000 check to the governor’s wife, Maureen, in 2011, the people said.
The money to the corporation and Maureen McDonnell brings to $145,000 the amount Williams gave to assist the McDonnell family in 2011 and 2012 — funds that are now at the center of federal and state investigations.
Williams, the chief executive of dietary supplement manufacturer Star Scientific Inc., also provided a $10,000 check in December as a present to McDonnell’s eldest daughter, Jeanine, intended to help defray costs at her May 2013 wedding, the people said.
Virginia’s first family already is under intense scrutiny for accepting $15,000 from the same chief executive to pay for the catering at the June 2011 wedding of Cailin McDonnell at the Executive Mansion.
Rachel Maddow takes a long, in-depth look at Bob McDonnell
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That sure is a long list of benefits our Governor has received without giving proper credit. His acquisitiveness should have some impact on Ken Cuccinelli as he campaigns to replace Governor Ultra-Sound.
Govenor Ultrasound McDonnell Hires Bullies to Answer the Phones
So I called the Govenors office, not the first I have done this mind you, and spoke with the most obnoxious young man. He wanted to bully me into a debate. I will add, every other time I have called the Govenor’s office, I have spoken with a perfectly lovely black woman. She is always polite. Well, what a difference this experience was for me.
I wish I had asked his name now. He answered the phone and I told him I was calling about the amendment that would inhibit women buying abortion coverage with their own money in the insurance exchange. I asked him, rhetorically of course, why republicans always seemed to rally around the premise of small government, but when it comes to a womans vagina/i.e. reproductive system, they were more than happy to use government power to justify their means.
He then proceeded to interupt me and instead of asking me for my name etc, he wanted to debate me on the subject. I told him I had no interest in debating him, that I simply called to register my disgust. Well, he proceeded to tell me that I had “called a non partisan office”. Can someone please tell me how Govenor McDonnell’s office is non partisan. Isn’t he a republican? Am I in the some twighlight zone episode?
Sen. Dick Saslaw opposes McDonnell’s road funding proposal
McDonnell isn’t much of a businessman. Saslaw is right. Why should Virginians absorb the entire cost when clearly 1/3 cars on our highways are out of state. McDonnell shoots himself in the foot, again, with this proposal. The metrics aren’t on his side.
