SEC probe into GreenTech different than FBI investigation into Bob McDonnell & his political gifts

The so-called “liberal” media outlet, The Washington Post, was quick to turn its headlights onto the recently unearthed Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation into GreenTech Automotive, an electric-car company co-founded by Terry McAuliffe, Virginia’s Democratic Party candidate for governor. In reading the article by The Washington Post, the reader could easily come away with the impression that Terry McAuliffe is himself under personal investigation, not the company he co-founded and resigned from in late 2012. So much for the Post’s liberal bias.

A more accurate way to word the SEC investigation into GreenTech would be to make clear that the SEC has subpoenaed GreenTech Automotive for documents and bank records from one of its “sister” companies, Gulf Coast Funds Management of McLean. There’s the who and here’s the why: the investigation, according to SEC documents, is focused in part on ALLEGED claims that GreenTech “guarantees returns” to investors.

While a quick Google search into “GreenTech investigation” reveals a host of conservative-leaning websites clearly reveling in this “scandal” surrounding McAuliffe and the car company he co-founded, it’s important to keep one thing in mind, Terry McAuliffe is NOT GreenTech.

The SEC investigation into GreenTech has been used by many conservative commentators as an example of the corruption on “the left.” But the probe into GreenTech is a different animal than the FBI investigation into Gov. Bob McDonnell and Star Scientifics’ CEO. The latter is a much more personal matter that is specifically targeting an elected official and one of his political donors. The former is targeting a company co-founded by a candidate for Virginia’s Executive Mansion, not the candidate himself.

While each company needs a figurehead who may or may not be the real force behind the company’s business decisions, it’s not clear that even if GreenTech Automotive were guilty of its alleged violations that McAuliffe would have had any knowledge that SEC violations were taking place.

When one looks at the evidence behind the FBI investigation into McDonnell, it is clear at the very least that McDonnell should have shown better judgment in the amount of gifts he chose to accept from Jonnie Williams, Star Scientifics’ CEO. In the case of the SEC probe, too little is known by the public at present to make anything more than partisan shots in the dark.

I’m not the biggest fan of Terry McAuliffe, but I know what a fair public assessment of allegations should look like and so far, I haven’t seen it. Regardless of party or political beliefs, fair public assessments of allegations are a crucial component to the stability of our political system. Otherwise, what is to stop any political group or candidate from tossing out any accusation they wish regarding a political opponent to see if it sticks?