VA Sen. Barbara Favola calls on Gov. Bob McDonnell to resign amid new undisclosed political gifts

It took some time, but Gov. Bob McDonnell has finally hit the “resignation flood zone,” or at least its initial stage as state Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington) became the first elected representative to directly demand Gov. McDonnell’s resignation.

Sen. Favola commented that “I don’t see the purpose of the governor continuing in office when the trust between his office and Virginians has been so eroded.” According to The Washington Post, Sen. Favola’s comments were a result of the latest “gift giving” story regarding Star Scientific’s CEO, Jonnie Williams, and Gov. Bob McDonnell.

In this latest round of Jonnie Williams’ generous (unreported) “gifts” to the McDonnell clan, $70,000 was given to a corporation owned by Bob McDonnell and his sister, $10,000 was given to Bob McDonnell’s daughter, and a $50,000 check was given to Gov. McDonnell’s wife, Maureen. These gifts are in addition to the $15,000 that Williams spent on the wedding of Gov. McDonnell’s daughter, Cailin, in June 2011.

Not surprisingly, the McDonnell administration has stayed quiet about the ever-growing scandal and implicitly sticking by a statement made by McDonnell in the past that he has done no wrongdoing.

While Republicans in the General Assembly like House Speaker William J. Howell (Stafford) have come to McDonnell’s defense, it’s going to be difficult for Virginian’s of diverse political persuasions to swallow the “partisan political potshots” line being floated by Howell. To charge Democratic Party calls for further explanations about McDonnell’s gifts from Williams “partisan political potshots” is akin to calling the Democratic Party’s request for President Richard Nixon’s impeachment a partisan ruse without merit. 

Obviously, there is a strong need for McDonnell to “come clean.”

Even if we were to suspend our disbelief and assume that McDonnell returned no political favors for the substantial political gifts he received from Mr. Williams, the sheer size of Williams’ political gifts is a major cause for concern, in and of itself.

If one individual, or a small group of individuals, can contribute so much to an elected official, then political favors and favoritism is as inevitable as breathing the air. And as a result, faith in Virginia’s political institutions could easily be undermined.

Regardless of whether or not McDonnell returned the sizable gifts of Williams’ with political quid pro quo’s, McDonnell has no doubt lost the trust of a great many Virginians and can no longer govern effectively until November. If McDonnell has any integrity, he will resign his office and let Virginia and Virginians move beyond this unfortunate period in our state’s 21^st Century history.