Bob McDonnell's "Crazy Wife" Defense Is Totally Unprecedented

As the Vatican continues to demonstrate its sense that it is above the law when it comes to the sexual abuse of children (see the prior post), in Richmond, Virginia, the criminal trial of Bob and Maureen McDonnell similarly shows the nasty reality of GOP "family values": sham marriages, unbridled greed, back stabbing, throwing one's spouse under the proverbial bus, and levels of dysfunction that are off the charts.  Perhaps I should not be surprised given what went on in the strong Republican neighborhood I lived in during the closeted period of my life.  Outwardly, everything was perfection with perfectly maintained homes and yards, but behind closed doors, some husbands beat their wives, many marriages were strained at best, and at least one husband was recently caught by one of his children having sex with a woman not much older than his children.  A piece in Talking Points Memo looks at the culmination of all of this in Bob McDonnell's "crazy wife" legal defense scheme.  Here are highlights:

Over five weeks of testimony, jurors have heard a barrage of details about the McDonnells’ finances and about their interactions with a wealthy Virginia businessman, Jonnie Williams, from whom the couple is accused of taking $177,000 worth of gifts and loans in exchange for lending the credibility of the governor’s office to Williams’ dietary supplements company.

But without a doubt, the most engrossing aspect of the trial has been the revelations about the McDonnells’ marriage. In testimony, the governor painted a picture of his marriage veering so far into soap opera territory that pundits began referring to it as the “crazy wife” defense. Legal experts told TPM that was an unprecedented strategy to deploy in such a high-profile criminal case.

When the former governor the took the stand, he cast his wife as a mercurial thorn in his side — not to mention that of the entire Executive Mansion staff. Under questioning by the defense, various other witnesses described Maureen McDonnell as a hoarder, "diva-ish" and "pathologically incapable of taking any kind of responsibility." One former aide testified that the governor was "in denial about Mrs. McDonnell’s mental capacity."

Defense attorneys are hoping that all this testimony proves to jurors that communication between the McDonnells was too strained for them to have been able to conspire together to promote Williams’ company.

Barbara “Biz” Van Gelder, a criminal defense attorney with Dickstein Shapiro, said it’s not unusual in a criminal case for one spouse to claim that he or she wasn’t aware of what the other spouse was doing, particularly in regards to finances. For example, a couple may share a joint account that just one spouse manages.

But “this is much different. This is saying not that they do that portion of the shared work, but this is like, ‘I’m not even talking to them so I don’t know,’” she told TPM.

Julie Rose O’Sullivan, a law professor at Georgetown and a former federal prosecutor, agreed that the McDonnell defense’s “crazy wife” theory was a departure from cases she’s seen.

“The more that he describes his wife as crazy, then it begs the question of well, if your wife was crazy, why didn’t you stop her?” he told TPM. “Why didn’t you shut her down? Like many defenses, this one is also a two-edged sword.”

Certain gifts that McDonnell himself received from the wealthy businessman, such as golfing trips and a ride in Williams’ Ferrari, don't quite fit that narrative (The Washington Post has an excellent graphic visualizing all the luxury goods, vacations and loans given to each member of the McDonnell family for reference). In those cases, McDonnell acknowledged that he shouldn’t have accepted the gifts but argued that Williams’ largess never earned him more than basic constituent access to the governor’s office.

So how might the "crazy wife" defense shake out once the trial goes to jury?

Cowan believes that the broken marriage story may not be enough to convince a jury that the McDonnells were unable to conspire to promote Williams' company.

"If at the end of the day the jury says, you did enough, you knew enough, then this is really not only a trainwreck for a political career, it’s also an incredible trainwreck to publicly display all of this for naught," Van Gelder said.

The Myth of "The Virginia Way" and the McDonnell Corruption Trial

Having lived half my life now in Virginia I am well acquainted with what often is a pretense of civility - especially in politics - when behind the veneer things are down right cut throat and dirty.  No one is more skilled in knifing you in the back than genteel Virginia belles and gentleman.  Feigned courtliness doesn't lessen the pain of the knife slipping between one's ribs.   One positive aspect of the Bob and Maureen McDonnell criminal corruption trial is that it has perhaps once and for all destroyed the myth of "the Virginia Way" - the myth that civility and the best interests of the public are forever foremost in the minds of Virginia politicians.   The truth is that Virginia politics is a snake pit where greed and seeking advantage through any means are the norm.  A column in the Richmond Times Dispatch looks at the issue.  Here are excerpts:

No verdict is necessary in the Bob and Maureen McDonnell corruption case to know that the wrenching scandal is certain to change Virginia politics. It will probably get worse before it gets better.

The historic five-week trial will lay waste to the notion of the “Virginia way,” a quaint concept that elections and governance are conducted with mannered dignity by men and women who — because they have an agonizing sense of public mission — know what’s best for the rest of us.

This idea has been on life support for years, weakened by the rise of two-party competition, beginning in 1969 with the election of the state’s first modern Republican governor, Linwood Holton. The GOP wanted in on the big feed that had been reserved almost exclusively for Democrats for most of the 20th century.

Having used the poll tax and literacy tests to disenfranchise African-Americans and poor whites, Democrats kept the electorate small and manageable — and largely in the dark about their continuing manipulations of the system.

 

Favor-seeking and back-scratching — acts that a federal jury could criminalize by finding the McDonnells guilty of trading booty and bling for state support of a disputed dietary supplement — have long been the rule in Richmond.

But it wasn’t called that. Rather, it was known as “sound policy,” a way to preserve the state’s business-friendly climate — and, by extension, the control of cliquish conservative, often-prosperous politicians who did the corpocracy’s bidding.

This arrangement may have helped profits, but it didn’t always help Virginia’s people. . . . Politics was a members-only activity, the prerogative of the few. It was intentionally opaque. If the personal became public, it was dealt with swiftly and sternly.

It’s no wonder, then, that Garrett Epps, who famously chronicled the clash between Old and New Virginia in his 1977 novel, “The Shad Treatment,” now refers to his home state as the “Banana Dominion.”

Fast-forward to 2014: Not only have Virginians been told for more than a year by newspapers and prosecutors about the alleged misdeeds of the McDonnells on behalf of the fully immunized Jonnie Williams Sr., Bob and Maureen also have — as the cornerstone of their defense — shared tawdry details of their life together apart. It may be TMI — too much information — but get used to it.

Political candidates have long bared their souls, but usually according to a script. The idea is to establish a bond with voters; that they’re inclined to support the candidate who is most like them.

McDonnell mastered this. Running for attorney general in 2005 and governor four years later, he was an easygoing, typical suburban kid from Fairfax County, talking about kitchen-table issues with friends and family. Now we know the conversation apparently was conducted with flying plates.

In Virginia, political parties and the political press will now feel compelled to more closely vet candidates and officials. But the magnified scrutiny will likely extend to those who usually receive little or none: spouses and children.

The picture that emerged of the McDonnells — one painted by the prosecution and, to a lesser degree, the defense — is of a sprawling family for which gift-taking was a full-time enterprise. Living in the fishbowl that is the Executive Mansion, they availed themselves of Williams’ gaudy largesse: a Rolex watch, designer togs, five-figure checks as wedding presents, weekends at posh resorts, golf outings and sports equipment. The McDonnells chose not to notice that eventually the public would.

Next year, Virginians decide control of the House of Delegates and state Senate. Partisan redistricting will protect many seats, particularly those of Republicans, whose brand has been badly dinged by the McDonnell mess. Their tailor-made districts can’t protect them from shame.

Bob McDonnell, Maureen McDonnell and GOP Family Values - Lies and Undisclosed Loans

Towne Bank's Will Sessoms

In some ways I was wondering why Will Sessoms, Mayor of Virginia Beach, was a witness in the corruption trial of Bob and Maureen McDonnell.  Now, it appears he was called as a witness not because of his political office but rather his position as a banker.  The Richmond Times Dispatch has focused on McDonnell's financial difficulties surrounding Virginia Beach investment properties.Now, the focus is on the loans that were undisclosed on financial statements submitted to Towne Bank and the lies Maureen McDonnell told to State Police investigators.  Here are excerpts:

Prosecutors put the mayor of Virginia Beach on the witness stand Tuesday and shifted the focus of the trial of Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen from corruption to fraud.

Shown a copy of a personal financial statement completed by the former governor, William Sessoms, Jr., president of Towne Financial Services Group, said it failed to include loans from either Jonnie Williams Sr. or Starwood Trust.

One of 14 charges against the McDonnells alleges Bob McDonnell broke the law when he submitted a personal financial statement to TowneBank in October 2012 in which he failed to disclose he owed at least $50,000 to Williams.

Sessoms helped the McDonnells and Bob McDonnell’s sister, Maureen McDonnell finance two Virginia Beach properties, one for $249,990 in 2005 and another for $722,550 in 2006.

Shown payment records for the loans, Sessoms, who said Bob McDonnell is a friend he has known since the 1980s, said that from 2009 to 2013 it appeared late fees were imposed 18 times for the smaller loan and 29 times for the larger one.

Late fees were assessed when a loan payment was 15 days late. Sessoms said he had several conversations with McDonnell about not letting a payment get 30 days late or it would be reported and affect his credit score.

Hagan, the state police investigator, said he and fellow investigator James Lyons interviewed the first lady on Feb. 15, 2013 to discuss an aspect of the ongoing investigation into theft from the Executive Mansion by former chef Todd Schneider.

Hagan also said the interview was to learn more about two checks -- a $50,000 payment to first lady Maureen McDonnell as well as a $15,000 check drawn on a Williams account that was written to Schneider's catering company as payment for food at the June 2011 Executive Mansion wedding reception for the McDonnells' daughter, Cailin.

Hagan testified that in the 2013 interview Maureen McDonnell said her husband had known Williams for years and had been a “friend of the family for a long time” -- having met the governor right after he left his service in the Army.

Evidence, however, suggests that McDonnell and Williams did not meet until 2009, when Williams provided the use of his private plane to help McDonnell in his run for governor.

Hagan also said that Maureen McDonnell told him that the $50,000 check she received from Williams in May 2011 was a personal loan, for which she had signed a loan agreement and had been making payments to Williams.

The investigator said that at the end of the interview he asked the first lady to produce the paperwork for the alleged loan, to which the first lady said she had signed the documents and sent them back to Williams.

Hagan testified that Mrs. McDonnell did not know before the interview that she was under investigation. Hagan testified there were no bank records showing Maureen McDonnell making payments to Williams.

There's more, but the overall picture is tawdry at best.

Ken Cuccinelli to Provide Pre-Paid Legal Services to Gun Nuts

Resident Virginia lunatic Ken Cuccinelli - ex-Attorney General and failed gubernatorial candidate - has announced that he is opening a law firm to provide pre-paid legal services to gun nuts and extremists.  Given Cuccinelli's pleas of poverty as to why he did not promptly return Giftgate gifts from Jonnie R. Williams, one has to wonder where Cuccinelli got the funding to open such a firm.   Think Progress looks at Cuccinelli's new career/lunacy:

Four months ago, former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R-VA) thought he was going to be the next governor of Virginia. Now his opponent, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) is comfortably nestled in the state’s governor’s mansion — and Cuccinelli is trying to make a buck by offering financial piece of mind to gun owners who might shoot people.

The way it works is this: gun owners who think they may someday use their weapon in “self defense” against another human being pay “as little as $8.33 a month” to Cuccinelli and his three partners. In return, the firm will provide legal defense for no additional charge if the gun owner faces charges after shooting someone in what they claim is self-defense. As a bonus, the firm will also defend clients who claim they were “harassed by law enforcement for lawfully carrying their weapon.”

Although one of Cuccinelli’s partners claims that this is not an insurance plan for people who anticipate facing gun charges in the future, this arrangement resembles an NRA endorsed insurance program for people “involved in an act of self-defense.” That program provides that “Criminal Defense Reimbursement is provided for alleged criminal actions involving self-defense when you are acquitted of such criminal charges or the charges are dropped.” . . . “when someone contracts with our legal services, we provide them regardless of outcome.” Thus, if someone like Michael Dunn, who was convicted on three counts of attempted second degree murder for firing at four black teens in an SUV, had been a client of Cuccinelli’s firm, the firm could wind up covering his legal costs despite the guilty verdict.

The one caveat to this rule is something Cuccinelli describes as a “sex, drugs, rock-n-roll clause.” If a client is engaged in illegal activity, such as a drug sale, during the shooting, then the client’s pre-paid fees will not cover the cost of representation. (Notably, neither sex nor rock-n-roll are illegal. Although, if it were up to Cuccinelli, many kinds of sex would be.)

The practical effect of this new legal service, in other words, will be that gun owners will enjoy fairly broad certainty that they will not be hit with massive legal bills if they shoot someone. That’s one less thing they’ll have to worry about when they are deciding whether to squeeze the trigger.

Bob McDonnell and Wife Indicted on 14 Counts

I first met Bob McDonnell nearly 20 years ago and I never, ever would have expected that I'd see he and his wife indicted on federal charges.  Personally, my gut feeling is that Maureen got this ball rolling with Star Scientific and Bob McDonnell failed to rein her in and it was downhill from thereon out.  Based on what the Richmond Times Dispatch is reporting, both Bob and Maureen McDonnell are in very serious legal trouble.  What continues to stun me is the level of greed that seems to have consumed them.  Did they think that they would not get caught or did they believe that Virginia's near nonexistent ethics laws would allow them cover?  Obviously, McDonnell's political career is over. Here are story highlights:

Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were indicted today by a federal grand jury on 14 counts stemming from the first couple’s acceptance and solicitation of thousands in gifts and loans from a wealthy businessman during McDonnell’s term.

The indictment, spelled out in an extensive document filed by the United States Attorney for the Eastern District, paints a detailed portrait of how the governor and his wife accepted more than $135,000 in direct payments as gifts and loans from then-Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams Sr.,  in addition to golf outings and other things of value, in exchange for the first couple's assistance in promoting his struggling Henrico-based company’s dietary supplement, Anatabloc.

It also asserts that the McDonnells lied on loan applications and forms requiring them to declare debts and then tried to cover their tracks.

Taken together, the charges, if they resulted in convictions and  maximum sentences, could produce fines in excess of $1 million and put the McDonnells behind bars for decades.

The indictment alleges "a scheme to violate federal public corruption laws," according to a Department of Justice release.

According to the indictment, from April 2011 through March, 2013, the McDonnells "participated in a scheme to use the former governor's official position to enrich themselves and their family members by soliciting and obtaining payments, loans gifts and other things of value from Star Scientific, a Virginia-based corporation and J.W.," an apparent reference to Williams, then Star's CEO.

"The McDonnells obtained the things of value in exchange for the former governor performing official actions on an as-needed basis to legitimize, promote and obtain research studies," for Anatabloc.

The indictment also alleges that the McDonnells "attempted to conceal the things of value received from J.W. and Star to hide the nature and scope of their dealings with J.W. from the citizens of Virginia, by ... routing things of value from family members and corporate entities controlled by the former governor to avoid annual disclosure requirements."

The indictment alleges that the first couple did not disclose that they had loans with Williams when they sought loans in October 2012 and in early 2013 from a financial institution and another private lender. It also alleges that Maureen McDonnell made "false and misleading statements" to investigators regarding the first couple's relationship with Williams.

The indictment also alleges that these actions, as well as attempts to produce paperwork after the fact declaring the loans and their terms to the borrowers, were an attempt to "obstruct, influence and impede" the investigation.

According to the indictment the McDonnells, both 59, are charged with:

* 1 count of conspiracy to commit honest-services wire fraud

* 3 counts of honest-services wire fraud

* 1 count of conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right

* 6 counts of obtaining property under color of official right

* 1 count of making false statements to a federal credit union

Additionally, Bob McDonnell is charged with making a false statement to a financial institution and Maureen McDonnell is charged with one count of obstruction of an official proceeding.

And the gifts were extensive. Among them:

More than $100,000 in campaign contributions, mostly in-kind donations of flights on Williams’ private jet

$15,000 shopping spree to New York City for Maureeen McDonnell in spring 2011

A trip to the Final Four in Houston to see VCU play in April 2011

$50,000 to Maureen McDonnell in May, 2011, $30,000 of which first lady used to purchase Star stock

$15,000 to cover catering expenses at the June, 2011 wedding of Cailin McDonnell

A 2011 summertime stay at Williams’ Smith Mountain Lake vacation home

$7,500 worth in golf outings for the McDonnell’s sons and members of his staff between May and September, 2011

A $6,500 Rolex watch with the inscription “71st Governor of Virginia”, which Maureen McDonnell gave to her husband for Christmas in 2011

$70,000 to MoBo Real Estate partners – a real estate partnership between the governor and his sister, in 2012

A $10,000 wedding present to another McDonnell daughter in December 2012.

Virginia's law is considered one of the most lax in the country regarding gifts to elected officials. There is no limit on the amount of a gift an official may accept, but officials must report any gift over $50 in value on annual statements of economic interest.  

What happened to the straight shooter that I once knew?  Did power go to his head?

Cuccinelli: No Conflict for Him to Preside Over Election in Which He Is a Candidate

Sadly, we have already seen examples of Ken Cuccinelli's failure to avoid blatant conflict of interest while he has occupied the office of Virginia Attorney General: bribes gifts from Jonnie R. Williams, CEO of Star Scientific and bribes campaign contributions from Consol Energy which just happened to receive improper legal assistance from Cuccinelli's office, etc.  But now, Cuccinelli's batshitery/arrogance has reached unbelievable levels.  When requested to recuse himself/his office from presiding over legal disputes and issues arising from the 2013 gubernatorial contest in which Cuccinelli is a candidate, Cuccinelli has formally stated that "there is no conflict of interest."  In what universe?   What freaking planet is this man from?   The Richmond Times Dispatch looks at the insanity.  Here are excerpts:

This summer, state Sen. John S. Edwards, D-Roanoke, asked Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli whether it is a conflict of interest for Cuccinelli and his office to preside over an election in which he is a candidate.  He wanted to know whether that conflict required Cuccinelli to recuse his office from prosecuting any violations of election law.

On Friday, Edwards received his answer -- no.

"It is my opinion that there is no inherent conflict of interest presented, and thus, no per se requirement that the Office of the Attorney General recuse from investigating and prosecuting alleged violations of election law, when the Attorney General is a candidate for public office in the same election that is under investigation,"

"...There is no legal or ethical requirement that a sitting Attorney General who is on the ballot for an election disqualify himself or his Office from performing all of the Office's statutory responsiblities."
Cuccinelli wrote in a five-page legal opinion, posted to the Attorney General's website today.

"It is further my opinion that any potential recusal of that office must be determined on a case-by-case basis."

Edwards' request was an extension of a position maintained by Democrats in the campaign -- that by remaining in office while running for governor, Cuccinelli compromised not only his ability to serve but invited conflicts between his official responsibilities and his political interests.

The previous six attorneys general who ran for governor of Virginia all resigned their office before their terms expired to seek the Executive Mansion. Cuccinelli has said he would stay in office to fulfill his promise to voters to serve his full term.

Given Cuccinelli's past corruption and disregard for conflicts of interest, I for one do not feel the least bit comfortable knowing that Cuccinelli will likely try to manipulate the election results if the polls  bear out and he goes down in flames.  Cuccinelli is unfit for any elected office!
   

Cuccinelli Belatedly Contributes Star Scientific Bribes - I Mean Gifts - To Charity

After offering a plethora of lies explanations as to why he had to date refused to return or give to charity the bribes gifts that he received from Jonnie R. Williams/Star Scientific, today GOP gubernatorial candidate finally gave a sum equal to the known amounts he received to CrossOver Healthcare Ministry, a Richmond-area operation providing medical care to the uninsured.  Not surprisingly, CrossOver Healthcare Ministry is a Christian faith-based operation, although it has a surprisingly reputable board of directors.   Politico looks at Cuccinelli's surprising too little too late donation.  The cynic in me wonders where Cuccinelli found the money to make the donation.  Here are story highlights:

Virginia‘a Republican candidate for governor, Ken Cuccinelli, announced Tuesday that he has donated $18,000 to a Richmond-based charity to offset the value of gifts he accepted from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams.

His move came after Gov. Bob McDonnell, who is under federal investigation for his ties to Williams, and his family returned all the gifts and repaid $125,000 in loans to Williams in late July.

Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe has been pressuring his opponent to follow the governor’s lead. But Cuccinelli has said that he did not receive the kind of gifts that easily can be returned and suggested that he did not have the financial wherewithal to make such a large donation on his income, which was $194,000 last year.

“I made the decision to send the check because it is the right thing to do, plain and simple,” the attorney general said in a video statement released by his campaign.

There’s a palpable sense in the commonwealth that McAuliffe has opened up a clear lead in the election, and this move seems designed to get some momentum and take away one of the top Democratic attacks.

“For those who’ve been disappointed in this situation or how I’ve handled it, I apologize,” Cuccinelli said on the video. “It’s been a humbling set of lessons for me.”

Cuccinelli expressed hope in his video announcement that he can now talk more about issues than scandal in the final eight weeks of the race.

McAuliffe’s campaign scoffed at the move.  “Cuccinelli’s pattern of ethical behavior is always the same,” spokesman Josh Schwerin said. “Get caught in scandals, do nothing for months, and then buckle to pressure for his own political reasons.”

Again, my question is this: who gave Cuccinelli the funds so that he could make the donation? 

Virginian Pilot: Bob McDonnell Needs to Resign

A post yesterday looked at the deepening problems of Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell and "Gift Gate" which was driven apparently in large part by Maureen McDonnell's incredible greed and willingness to sell political favors.  McDonnell's defense: he didn't know what his wife was up to.  It defies belief and frankly suggests that McDonnell is a liar to boot.  Today, the Virginian Pilot calls on McDonnell to do the right thing and resign so as to spare Virginia more seedy headlines and embarrassment.  Here are highlights:

Less than a month ago, Gov. Bob McDonnell apologized to Virginians for the financial and ethical controversy swirling around his office. He insisted that he broke no laws and was "committed to regaining your sacred trust and confidence."

In the ensuing weeks, however, new details about McDonnell's relationship with supplement maker Star Scientific and the company's chief executive, Jonnie Williams, have called into question the commitment to restoring that trust. Worse, the revelations have raised substantial new questions about the governor's ties to the company.

Those details include additional gifts provided by Williams to the governor's family, as well as confirmation that the governor's wife, Maureen McDonnell, twice purchased shares of Star Scientific stock with money loaned to her by Williams.

As The Pilot's Julian Walker reported, those stock purchases establish a direct financial connection between the McDonnells and the company that the governor and first lady have touted during his term. The governor's explanation - that he didn't know the extent of his wife's financial dealings with Williams - doesn't change that.

Star Scientific is the focus of a federal securities investigation and is embroiled in a $700,000 tax lawsuit against the state. Yet Virginia's first family owned shares in the company and accepted lavish gifts, including designer clothes, a Rolex and tens of thousands of dollars in loans, from the company's CEO.

On Monday, The Washington Post reported, federal officials met with attorneys for the governor and his wife to discuss whether the couple should be charged. That is a dire prospect, one that underscores the magnitude of the situation and the need for steady leadership and credible reform of the system that enabled the current mess.

McDonnell's failure to completely disclose his family's financial ties to Star Scientific has diminished his credibility and drained his capacity to lead the commonwealth. The latest revelations, even without the possibility of an indictment of the commonwealth's chief executive, make the prospect of his continued leadership untenable. He must devote his full attention to sorting out his personal and legal problems.

For the good of his office, of the state and of every Virginian - and for the good of his family and of himself - McDonnell should resign.

The Pilot is correct in its analysis.  I would only add that voters need to remember that Ken Cuccinelli was in bed with Williams and Star Scientific as well.  He merely received fewer gifts.  Or at least that's what he is telling everyone.

Growing Scandal Surrounds Ken Cuccinelli

Both Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell and Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli make a point of wearing their supposed religiosity on their sleeves, yet the unfolding picture is one of greed and corruption that one would more expect among the mafia.  Both accepted lavish gifts from Jonnie R. Williams and now the Inspector General's office is investigating whether Cuccinelli's office gave improper legal advice to private litigants one of which is an affiliate of a corporation that just happened to give Cuccinelli $100,000.  Even the conservative Richmond Times Dispatch is slamming Cuccinelli for what looks like improprieties on a major scale.  Here are editorial excerpts: 

Politically explosive investigations in Virginia are proliferating at a rate that makes bunny rabbits look almost celibate. The latest inquiry concerns the Office of the Attorney General.

State Inspector General Michael Morehart is looking into whether one of the lawyers in that office was out of bounds when she gave legal advice to a private company embroiled in a dispute with Virginia landowners over mineral rights. Sharon Pigeon’s emails to attorneys for Consol Energy were unusual enough to draw a sharp rebuke from a federal magistrate.

This would qualify as embarrassing news for Ken Cuccinelli under any circumstances. But its potential to hurt the Republican’s gubernatorial chances is magnified by two facts. First, Consol has given hefty sums to his campaign war chest. Second, Cuccinelli was briefed on the case by senior staff. That doesn’t mean he knew about, let alone directed, Pigeon’s activity. But it does make any claim of ignorance on his part a more difficult sell.

After nutritional supplement-maker Star Scientific sued Virginia in a dispute over taxes, Cuccinelli (a) bought stock in Star Scientific, then sold it for a profit, and (b) used the vacation home of CEO Jonnie Williams Sr. – and did not recuse his office until publicly pressured to do so.

There’s also the lingering odor from the case of U.S. Navy Veterans Association, a “charity” investigated by several states. The group’s founder and leader, John Donald Cody, went by the name Bobby Thompson, and – before he went on the lam – contributed to numerous Virginia politicians, Cuccinelli in particular. He now faces trial on felony theft and money-laundering charges.

None of this implies any sort of illegality on Cuccinelli’s part. But it may suggest a level of coziness between the attorney general and his benefactors that does little good to the public, and that voters might find alarming. They also might wonder why Cuccinelli seems to take the long way around to the right decision.

 Ouch!!!

Bob McDonnell Scandal: The Sharks Are Turning on Each Other

Frankly, it has been entertaining to watch the festering of Bob McDonnell's self-inflicted political wounds.  The greed and sense of entitlement - especially on the part of Maureen McDonnell - has been shocking.   The only down side has been that the scandal has not hit Ken Cuccinelli - Virginia's would be Adolph Hitler like figure - harder.  Kookinelli is just as dirty as McDonnell and only received less generosity from Williams because he doesn't wield the power the governor holds in Virginia.  Now, Bob "Taliban Bob" or "Rolex Bob" McDonnell and erstwhile buddy and lavish gift giver Jonnie R. Williams, Sr., seem poised to go for each others throats.  A column in Bacon's Rebellion looks at this turn of events.  Here are excerpts:

You know something bad is up when Gov. Robert F. McDonnell starts turning on his gift-giving pal Jonnie R. Williams Sr. of Star Scientific and federal prosecutors.

On Friday, the troubled dietary supplement maker filed securities documents saying that the firm has been told by federal prosecutors that it would not be charged criminally in their probe of McDonnell’s acceptance of gifts and loans.

Rich Galen, the Sherpa McDonnell has hired to get him through the scandal, has said that the feds are giving Williams “a free pass” which apparently means that Williams will turn state’s evidence against McDonnell. And that apparently means that the chances of McDonnell’s being indicted are higher, not lower.

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Galen “contrasted” McDonnell’s 37 years of public service with Williams, whom Galen said  “has been in trouble with government entities since the earliest days of his business career.”

Now that is a mouthful. And it is very strange given that McDonnell, who told me that he has known Williams for five or six years, has been such a close personal friend with Williams that he has accepted $165,000 in gifts and loans from him, has stayed at his lakeside vacation home, his wife has flown around in his airplane and has gotten a New York City shopping spree (including a $6,5000 Rolex for Bob). The McDonnells have given the goodies back.

Now it seems that McDonnell is going on the campaign trail this week to prop his reputation. One would think he might be going on the hustings to help Cuccinelli. But, no, Cuccinelli is trying to distance himself as much as he can from McDonnell even though Cuccinelli got $18,000 in gifts from Williams. Unlike the governor, the attorney general is not giving them back.

Chris LaCivita, a Cuccinelli advisor, actually gave this bizarre explanation for Cuccinelli’s decision to keep the stuff. The attorney general has seven kids and has to manage his family budget. Ethical transgressions are acceptable if you have a lot of children. Who knew?

The upshot is that McDonnell appears to be in very deep trouble with the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office.

Seven kids, and it still didn't turn Cuccinelli straight.   The man is a slime and a closet case.

Report: Bob McDonnell Possibly Facing Criminal Charges Over Cash Gifts

Bob McDonnell and his family acted like pigs at a trough when it came to soliciting and accepting bribes "gifts" from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie R. Williams, Sr.  Now, MSNBC is reporting that McDonnell could be facing criminal charges for the cash bribes "gifts" he accepted.  If this in fact comes to pass, McDonnell's aspirations for higher office may well be toast.  Secondly, such charges may bring renewed coverage of Ken Cuccinelli's willingness to likewise solicit and accept bribes "gifts" from Williams.  Here are highlights from MSNBC's article:

A federal investigation into Virginia governor Bob McDonnell’s accepting financial gifts from companies could lead to potential criminal charges against the Republican, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

Authorities are now investigating whether those gifts were part of a quid-pro-quo arrangement between Williams and McDonnell where the governor accepted the money in exchange for helping the company with Antabloc, a new dietary supplement, the paper reported.

Last week, McDonnell agreed to pay back the loans from Star Scientific, saying that he was, “deeply sorry for the embarrassment certain members of my family and I brought upon my beloved Virginia and her citizens.”

After receiving the gifts, McDonnell set up a meeting between Williams and Virginia’s secretary of health to discuss Andabloc; Maureen McDonnell, the first lady, hosted a lunch attended by her husband to celebrate the release of the drug at the governor’s mansion, the paper reported.

I want to know what Cuccinelli was supposed to deliver to Williams in exchange for the over $18,000 in "gifts" Cuccinelli received.  Virginia voters should be loudly asking this question.

Cuccinelli Will Not Return $18,000 in Gifts (Bribes?)

While Bob McDonnell is trying to save his ass by returning lavish gifts - some now being euphemistically called "loans" - the ever despicable Ken Cuccinelli has announced that he will not follow suit and reimburse Jonnie R. Williams, Sr., for the $18,000 in bribes gifts Cuccinelli recieved.  His reasoning?  Since the gifts were in the form of cash or tangible items like Rolex watches, they can't be returned.   Somehow he misses the point that he received what I am sure Williams viewed as payments for future political favors.  But then again, Cuccinelli always sees himself as exempt from the laws and rules that apply to others.   Here are highlights from a Washington Post article on Cuccinelli's bullshit position:

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says he’s glad Gov. Bob McDonnell is returning all the gifts he received from a major political donor. But he has no plans to repay the more than $18,000 in gifts he received from the same benefactor.

Cuccinelli told reporters Wednesday that Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams didn’t give him the kind of gifts that can be returned. Among the gifts from Williams listed in Cuccinelli’s financial disclosure statements are a $1,500 catered Thanksgiving dinner, private jet trips and vacation lodging. Cuccinelli said, “There are some bells you can’t unring.”

The Republican candidate for governor made the remarks the day after McDonnell announced he and his family are returning all their gifts and repaying $125,000 in business and personal loans from Williams.

Cuccinelli misses the point that he could write a check to Williams to make things right.  But then again, Cuccinelli is all about money as demonstrated by his refusal to resign from office.  He wants taxpayers to underwrite his political campaign.  Perhaps he should have thought through the cost of having all the children he fathered trying to convince himself that he's not gay.

Cuccinelli Remains Entangled With Star Scientific

GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli is trumpeting the findings of a report that at first glance states that Kookinelli is not as corrupt as Bob McDonnell.  But the fine print if you will raises some disturbing questions that need further exploration and which raise the question of whether there are more details - i.e., bribes gifts - that have yet come to light.  Besides being insane, Kookinelli is power mad and has a history of viewing himself above the law and above U. S. Supreme Court rulings as demonstrated by his effort to keep oral sex a felony in Virginia.  The Maddow Blog sums things up well:

[I]f all you read is the headline -- "Investigators Clear Virginia's Cuccinelli in Ethics Probe" -- you're going to miss some key details. For example, the same report notes that Cuccinelli, far from doing nothing to help his generous benefactor, may have helped Williams after all.

Star sued the state to reverse a $1.7 million tax bill in 2011, shortly before Cuccinelli made a second, $10,000 investment in its shares and before the attorney general asked Williams if his family could stay for a third time at Williams' Smith Mountain Lake vacation home.

Cuccinelli has said he never talked to Williams about the lawsuit, though he has said Williams had earlier complained about the disputed taxes.

The attorney general told the ethics investigators "that he may have suggested that Williams contact a certain attorney at a Richmond law firm 'to assist him and his company with the Tobacco Fund,' " according to a report issued by Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Herring, quoting an investigators' findings.

So, Williams sued Virginia, and it was up Cuccinelli to defend the state in the case. It was around this time that Cuccinelli started buying stock in Williams' company and taking trips to Williams' lovely vacation home. And it was also around this time that Cuccinelli "may have" offered legal advice to Williams, too.

The report issued yesterday added, "[O]ne cannot help but question whether [Cuccinelli's] repeated omissions of Williams [in his disclosure forms] are coincidence or a pattern reflecting intent to conceal."

Given all of this, why is Cuccinelli off the hook? Probably because Virginia has pretty weak ethics laws, making it easier to get away with dubious conduct.

Oh, and then there's the question of why the Virginia Retirement System purchased — and sold at a loss -- 71,900 shares of Star Scientific stock over a three-month period.  The retirement system lost $87,000 in the process.  Just a coincidence?  Not likely.  The Daily Progress has details here.

Cuccinelli Continues to Try to Hide Ties to Star Scientific

With Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell's popularity plummeting and roughly a third of Virginians believing that he should resign as Governor of Virginia, his would be successor, extremist Ken Cuccinelli is dancing as fast as he can to put distance between himself and McDonnell and Jonnie R. Williams, Sr. (pictured below), who was giving handouts of gifts - and perhaps insider stock trading information - to Cuccinelli as well.  One can only hope the media and Cuccinelli's opponent, Terry McAuliffe continue the drum beat to force Cuccinelli to come clean.  A piece in the New York Times reviews the Cuccinelli-Williams relationship which mirrors that of Williams and McDonnell except for the magnitude of the gifts (at least so far).  Here are highlights:

He first bought the tiny company’s stock after bunking down in its chief executive’s six-bedroom home.

He added to his holdings soon after the rollout of a new product that the company hinted could be a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.  As the stock reached a 52-week high last year, he sold part of his portfolio for a $4,000 profit. 

Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, Virginia’s attorney general, said that the timing of his ownership of Star Scientific shares reflected nothing more than his own investment analysis. 

Star Scientific and its chief executive have been at the center of an exploding political drama in Virginia as state and federal investigators look into lavish gifts that the executive, Jonnie R. Williams Sr., gave Gov. Bob McDonnell. 

And now, despite his efforts to distance himself, scrutiny is growing of Mr. Cuccinelli’s ties to the executive. 

Mr. Williams, 57, also gave the attorney general $18,000 worth of gifts, including frequent stays at Mr. Williams’s homes outside Richmond and in the Blue Ridge Mountains, according to Mr. Cuccinelli’s financial disclosure statements. Mr. Cuccinelli at first failed to report some gifts, as well as his Star Scientific stock, as required by law, which he has said was an oversight. 

At no time, the attorney general said, did he receive stock tips from the executive. But Mr. Cuccinelli’s buying and selling of Star Scientific shares raises questions about whether he and Mr. Williams were as distant as campaign aides insist. 

Star Scientific was Mr. Cuccinelli’s only stock holding worth more than $10,000 since he became attorney general, according to his disclosure forms. In at least two cases, his buying and selling was closely timed to vacations he and his family enjoyed as guests of Mr. Williams. 

For a relative novice at stock picking, Mr. Cuccinelli’s investment in Star Scientific was highly unusual. It is a thinly traded stock in a company that has lost money for a decade. It stayed afloat by selling stock at a discount in “private placements” to large investors, whose hopes were repeatedly raised by company promotions about big payoffs. 

It is unclear how Mr. Cuccinelli first met Mr. Williams. When the attorney general took office in 2010, he sometimes stayed in Mr. Williams’s $2.2 million home outside Richmond while his family remained in the northern suburbs. 

In late October 2010, Mr. Cuccinelli made his first purchase of 5,060 shares of Star Scientific, at $1.98. A month later he, his wife and their seven children spent Thanksgiving at a vacation home that Mr. Williams owned on Smith Mountain Lake, near Roanoke, dining on a $1,500 catered dinner that Mr. Williams paid for, according to the attorney general’s financial disclosure.

Mr. Cuccinelli made his second purchase of stock, adding 3,600 shares of Star Scientific at $2.80. It continued its climb for a year, hitting a peak in early July 2012. In June, Mr. Cuccinelli used Mr. Williams’s lake house again, and after his vacation, he sold 1,500 shares of Star Scientific for a profit of $4,041.

There's more to the article but the supposed "coincidences" seem rather astounding.  Martha Stewat did prison time for insider trading.  Here, Cuccinelli is supposed to be Virginia's top law enforcement officer.  Jonnie R. Willimas may be many things, but the man isn't stupid.  The question thus becomes, what did he expect in return from Cuccinelli.  He did not give away gifts and use of his homes purely out of affection and the goodness of his heart.  Something is rotten in Cuccinelli land.

The Chef Who Could Cook Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli

The greed and influence peddling that seem to be the hallmarks of Virginia Governor Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell and Attorney General Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli terms in office to date will be aired further in the coming trial of former executive chef to the Governor's mansion, Todd Schneider.  Schneider is accused of taking state property from the Governor's mansion, but increasingly, it looks like his real crime was to pay too much attention to the misdeeds of the McDonald family members and the avalanche of money and gifts entering the Governor's mansion.  Talking Points Memo looks at the situation.  Here are highlights:

Accused of taking property from the governor’s mansion kitchen, Schneider is facing several charges of embezzlement in Virginia court. At the same time, he has become a key player in the scandal swirling around the McDonnells and Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

Revelations about the relationship between the McDonnell family, Cuccinelli, and a prominent political donor and businessman, Jonnie Williams Sr., have been trickling out for weeks. Williams, the CEO of a struggling dietary supplement company called Star Scientific, has given McDonnell tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds over the years, as well as reportedly tens of thousands of dollars in undisclosed money and other gifts. The undisclosed funds are now at the center of federal and state investigations, according to The Washington Post.

According to a court motion filed at the end of April by his attorney, Schneider began providing state and federal authorities with information about Williams’ relationship to the McDonnells over a year ago. On Feb. 10, 2012, Schneider met with agents from the Virginia State Police and the FBI. A month later, on March 8, 2012, Schneider and his attorney again met with the agents, along with Patrick Dorgan, a senior assistant state attorney general.

Schneider’s lawyer, has argued that the very food and supplies his client is now accused of embezzling from the state was given to Schneider as work-around payment for catering personal and political events McDonnell held at the mansion. Furthermore, Benjamin believes Schneider should be treated as a whistleblower. He has also argued that Cuccinelli’s conflict of interest in the case — Schneider did not know Cuccinelli held Star Scientific stock when he began speaking with investigators — should get the case dismissed. (Cuccinelli recused himself from the case in late April, citing the fact that a former governor’s mansion employee now works for his gubernatorial campaign.)

Earlier this week, a court hearing was held on Benjamin’s motion to dismiss the case. Afterward, Tony Troy, a private attorney representing McDonnell, disputed the idea that Schneider had been forced to cook for non-state or McDonnell family events. According to The Washington Post, Troy said that the executive chef was supposed to be a “at-will, 24-7 employee.”

It will be interesting to watch to see if Schneider manages to cook McDonnell's and Cuccinelli's goose.

Even Bob McDonnell’s Friends Are Bracing for the Worst - What About Cuccinelli?

The greed and unbelievable hypocrisy of Bob McDonnell and his idiot wife has even McDonnell's friends bracing themselves for the worst as the investigation into the now hundreds of thousands of gifts - dare we say bribes? - received by the McDonnell's continues.  One can only hope that some of the focus of the investigations will shift to Ken Cuccinelli who likewise acted like a pig at the trough when it came to receive gifts (and insider trading tips?) from Star Scientific and its CEO.  A column in the conservative Richmond Times Dispatch looks at the festering situation:

Paul Nardo is spending hours these days in the attic of the state Capitol. He’s rummaging through the records of the House of Delegates. In those damp-smelling volumes, the clerk is searching for clues on the legislature’s role in the unprecedented: the resignation or removal of a Virginia governor.

They’re on a lot of people’s minds as Gov. Bob McDonnell descends deeper and deeper into the inferno of scandal.

No lawmakers asked Nardo for this research. He’s trying to stay ahead of the curve. Nardo has been studying ancient journals, perusing scholarly commentaries and reviewing how the House handled the closest thing to a gubernatorial impeachment: the impeachment of two judges in the 1940s.

That Nardo, as chief administrator of the Republican-dominated House, is considering how the abstract might become reality is an ominous sign for McDonnell.
This is not in the Democrats’ script. It doesn’t call for them to intervene in this slow-motion Republican suicide. Plus, the more Republicans dissemble on ethics, the less Democrats have to defend the supposed misdeeds of their gubernatorial nominee, Terry McAuliffe. In the backstairs debate among Democratic leaders, candidates and strategists, the consensus is to be cautious.

McAuliffe and running mates Ralph Northam and Mark Herring are in lockstep on a gifts ban for the elective class. Donald McEachin, chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, launched an online petition pressing McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli, the GOP candidate for governor, to make public all gifts.

McDonnell’s situation is made worse by Cuccinelli. He, too, is stuck in the briar patch that is Jonnie Williams Sr. and Star Scientific. Cuccinelli’s effort to distance himself from McDonnell achieves the wrong objectives. It magnifies their shared humiliation. It is a reminder Cuccinelli is better at sticking it to McDonnell than sticking with him.

Cuccinelli isn’t the only Republican statewide candidate avoiding McDonnell — or availing himself of the opportunity to do so.

Mark Obenshain, the nominee for attorney general, is holding a fundraiser in Virginia Beach on Wednesday evening. The governor was supposed to be the headliner. But McDonnell’s office now says the appearance is off, that he’ll be on vacation all week with his family.

As Richard Nixon was 39 summers ago for Watergate-worried congressional Republicans, McDonnell could become, with apologies to the late columnist Nicholas von Hoffman, a “dead mouse” to legislative Republicans: Everyone can see it. Everyone can smell it. Who’s going to throw it away?

Defending their majority this fall, House of Delegates Republicans will cut and run on the first sign that McDonnell’s problems are becoming theirs. Their survival instinct will demand it.

An alarming harbinger for Republicans: conservative bloggers, who had already turned against McDonnell for raising taxes, report as fact that his resignation is inevitable, part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. An administration that ordinarily ignores the blogs did otherwise this time, issuing a forceful denial.

Should pressure intensify because of hostile public opinion, fed by unflattering news reports that go unanswered by McDonnell, House Republicans may have no option than to tell him he has none: that it’s time for him to go.  And all Democrats have to do is watch a great Republican tradition: cannibalism.

Virginia voters truly need to know what gifts Cuccinelli has received, particularly in light of Cuccinelli's continued attitude that he is above the law - even the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court rulings.  Personally, I find it hard to believe that there isn't considerable dirty to be found on Cuccinelli.

Corruption Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli Style

As more and more information continues to leak out about Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and his family - especially his wife, Maureen - the image that springs to mind is hogs at a trough eating up all they can grab, except in the case of McDonnell and family it is how many gifts and how much money can be secured.  While so far out of the fray in relative terms of the amount of loot secured, Ken Cuccinelli seemingly has engaged in a similar pattern of conduct with Star Scientific and its CEO, Jonnie R. Williams, Sr.  I for one hope more attention is focused on Cuccinelli as time goes by, especially in light of his continued view of himself as being above the laws and codes of conduct that govern others.  An editorial in the Washington Post slams McDonnell and should be a warning to Cuccinelli that he needs to come fully clean as well.  Here are highlights:

“IN THESE TOUGH budget times, everybody’s got to contribute, and I intend to do our part,” Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell said on the eve of his inauguration in 2010, explaining why he and his cabinet would take small pay cuts. A year later, Mr. McDonnell bragged that he had eliminated projected deficits in Virginia “by cutting spending.” And last year, touting his “fiscal prudence and conservative budgeting,” Mr. McDonnell piously hoped that Virginia’s example “would be a model for Washington.”

Yet as Mr. McDonnell was touting the virtues of public-sector austerity, his personal life was a counter-example of profligacy, irresponsibility and entitlement.

McDonnell and his family accepted upward of $200,000 in cash handouts, extravagant gifts and so-called loans — on generous terms unavailable to other mortals — from a Virginia businessman who sought the governor’s imprimatur and favorable treatment from the state for his company.

Much of it went unreported on the disclosure forms that Mr. McDonnell filed annually with the state, thanks to lawyerly maneuvering, definitional hair-splitting and slippery accounting.

Mr. McDonnell’s head-spinning hypocrisy has stained his reputation and shredded the bonds of trust that any governor must maintain with the public if he wishes to be effective and credible. It’s time for him to stop dodging hard questions and hiding behind legal niceties; it’s time for Mr. McDonnell to level with Virginians about what has become the state’s most toxic scandal in years.

Federal and state investigators are continuing to examine the McDonnell-Williams nexus for evidence of illegality, and a grand jury is hearing evidence. But the test of Mr. McDonnell’s ethical judgment and common sense is not whether he ends up facing criminal charges. The fact is, his conduct was egregious, and he owes a full accounting to the public for whom he works.

State lawmakers, most of whom have assumed a posture of stunned silence, also need to speak up. Do they not realize that Mr. McDonnell, by his actions, is rapidly recasting the state’s image for clean government?

In the face of what was clearly a pattern of improper conduct and systematic disclosure-dodging, it is inadequate to say, as Mr. McDonnell has, that he has hewn to the letter of the law.

Blue Virginia lists out a number of questionable matters involving both McDonnell and Cuccinelli.