What does a modern-day elected official do when faced with
mounting legal quandaries? The same thing elected public officials have done
since Socrates gave his own apology to the people of Ancient Athens, hire an
all-star team of legal sophists. In Gov. Bob McDonnell’s case, however, friends
in high places have announced that they are creating a nonprofit corporation
titled the “Restoration Fund” to cover the costs of the ‘gov’s’ upcoming legal
costs. As you might have noticed by the name of the corporation, McDonnell has
already fallen from grace in the minds of his own friends.
Attorneys from Virginia Beach, Stanley Baldwin and Jason
Miyares, alongside Hampton Roads entrepreneur Tom Knox stated they are seeking
to create the “Restoration Fund” because they believe the legal fees that a long-time
public figure like McDonnell might face “could be ruinous.” In other words,
McDonnell’s ‘friends’ are once again lending him a financial hand. Does this
situation sound familiar?
According
to one of the lead sophists in this tragic comedy, “The Governor’s friends want to ensure that he can wage a
vigorous defense and clear his good name.” Unfortunately for McDonnell’s
friends, all the kings’ horses and all the kings’ men can’t put the ethical face
back on this fallen Republican star again.
Whether or not McDonnell broke any federal or state laws
will be weeded out in the coming months as the investigation into his “friendships”
become available for public review. But regardless of whether or not McDonnell
broke any laws, he most certainly betrayed the trust the people of Virginia
bestow upon their elected officials.
The laundry list of ethical ‘mistakes’ that have been
uncovered so far is already enough to bury his political career, and it seems
like every week a new scenario unfolds regarding himself or his wife accepting ‘gifts’
that the average Virginian can only dream about. In case our elected
representatives have forgotten, they are not supposed to be kings or queens
among the masses but, as the name implies, representatives of the people’s
political will.
The mistake that McDonnell made was believing that “the
people” were only those willing to buy him lavish gifts and whisk him away to
exotic locales.
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