Saturday, November 23, 2013

In Conflict of Interest, Cuccinelli Leads Fundraising For Obenshain Recount

Hopefully history will regard Ken Cuccinelli as one of the sleaziest and most corrupt attorney generals in Virginia history.  The man continues to believe that he's above the law and not constrained by conflict of interest concerns that govern the rest of us.  His arrogance truly knows no limits.  As many news outlets and blogs have noted, there is an inherent conflict of interest for a sitting attorney general overseeing election results when he was himself a candidate in the election contest.  The Daily Press looks at Cuccinelli's efforts for losing GOP candidate Mark Obenshain and Cuccinelli's likely effort to steal the election from Democrat Mark Herring.  Note the lie in Cuccinelli's e-mail claiming that he supports equality for "ALL Virginians" - unless, of course, one is LGBT, black, Hispanic, or non-Christian.  Here article are highlights:

Ken Cuccinelli, whose office would represent the State Board of Elections in any challenges to its vote count, has asked people to help pay for state Sen. Mark Obenshain's legal costs for any recount in his race to be the state's next attorney general.

Democrats say that's a conflict and casts a huge shadow over the state's efforts to ensure that every vote is counted. Cuccinelli and Obenshain's fellow Republicans say the Democrats are making a mountain out of a molehill.

But with the Democratic attorney general candidate, state Sen. Mark Herring, holding a lead of just 165 votes over Obenshain, both sides are gearing up for a fight.

In the email, Cuccinelli said he was asking for the donations because, "It's important the work I started at the AG's office continue. Mark will do just that – fighting for liberty, fighting against federal overreaches and fighting for justice for ALL Virginians."

Herring's campaign declined to comment, but other Democrats were more vocal.  A fundraising appeal from former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello says, "No wonder Obenshain thinks he has a chance — he's got a guy on the inside."

State Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, said Cuccinelli's fundraising was disturbing because "he is someone who has a critical role to play to help ensure that Virginians have confidence in the outcome and know that our elections are professional, fair and non-partisan. Attorney General Cuccinelli needs to take his responsibilities seriously in this process and refrain from his overt and extreme partisanship."

The sooner Cuccinelli is forced from the Virginia political scene, the better off Virginia will be.

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