Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington request IRS investigate McDonnell & Cuccinelli

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is being queued by a nonprofit based out of Washington, D.C., Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), to review the political gifts that Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams Sr. gave to Gov. Bob McDonnell and Virginia’s Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli.  

According to CREW, Bob McDonnell and his immediate family received $166,150 while his attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli, raked in close to $19,000. CREW also added that some of these political “gifts” may not be exempt from taxes. As CREW noted in its request to the IRS  for further investigation, “As a general matter, public officials do not normally receive tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts from recent acquaintances out of unadulterated generosity.”

And here, my fellow Virginians, is a point I haven’t seen discussed in much depth. In the case of Bob McDonnell, at least, the idea that $166,150 in political gifts is not an outright attempt to ‘buy’ McDonnell’s favor is preposterous. Virginia’s political donation laws are in place to support a candidates political campaign, not purchase it outright.

As I’ve argued before, ask yourself this: if you were an elected official and someone offered to buy you a Rolex and numerous other expensive gifts on top of generous political donations, wouldn’t you be a little weary about ethical problems or even the possibility of legal malfeasance? I know I would.

Now McDonnell appears to almost be reveling in his obstinacy to step down as Virginia’s tarnished governor. He loves his job, he says, but that not’s the point. The point is that McDonnell betrayed the trust that is essential to his job and he can no longer be any more than a REALLY lame duck governor. If McDonnell really did care about his office and the people of Virginia, he would take a bow out of office.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, were this a Democratic governor, I’d be saying the same thing I am now: resign. In matters of honor and integrity, there are no party colors, only human imperatives.