RICHMOND — Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) and his wife, Maureen, have used taxpayer money for a range of small personal items they should have paid for themselves under state policy, according to spending records.

The McDonnells have billed the state for body wash, sunscreen, dog vitamins and a digestive system “detox cleanse,” the records show. They also have used state employees to run personal errands for their adult children. In the middle of a workday, for example, a staffer retrieved Rachel McDonnell’s newly hemmed pants at a tailoring shop nine miles from the governor’s mansion. Another time, a state worker was dispatched to a dry cleaner 20 miles away to pick up a storage box for Cailin McDonnell’s wedding dress.

About six months into the governor’s term, the official who oversees mansion spending told the McDonnells that they should not have charged taxpayers for a number of expenses, including deodorant, shoe repairs and dry-cleaning their children’s clothing. The official asked the McDonnells to pay the state back more than $300, which they did, and also gave them a refresher on what the state will and won’t provide for occupants of the governor’s mansion.

You mean our crony pet project funding governor? No way I had no idea.

But since that time, state records show that the McDonnells have continued to let taxpayers pick up the tab for numerous personal items, including vitamins, nasal spray and sleep-inducing elixirs.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, The Washington Post sought records of personal expenses covered by the state over the couple’s 31 / 2 years in the mansion. The full cost of those items is unknown because the state released only 16 sales receipts, most of them from 2011. State records show that there were many more personal shopping trips — nine others in January 2011 alone, including two to Bed Bath & Beyond to pick up “college stuff” for the McDonnells’ children.

The McDonnells repaid the state for at least some personal items purchased on those occasions. But without receipts, it is impossible to know whether they fully reimbursed taxpayers. The few receipts that were released show only partial repayment.

McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin declined to say why other receipts were not released.

Based on the disclosed records, the amount of personal expenses the McDonnells billed to the state is small — less than $600, including the $300 they repaid. But the disclosure comes at time when spending at Virginia’s Executive Mansion is already under scrutiny.

The FBI and a federal grand jury are investigating the $15,000 catering tab at Cailin McDonnell’s mansion wedding in June 2011 that was paid by a McDonnell campaign donor. That same donor, Star Scientific chief executive Jonnie R. Williams Sr., also lent the governor his Ferrari, lakeside vacation home and private jet. A Richmond prosecutor also is investigating whether the governor violated state gift disclosure laws.

Emerging as the former mansion chef faces charges of stealing food from the kitchen, the McDonnells’ expense records provide some insight into how the executive home has been managed. The chef has alleged that the McDonnells — already entitled to a free mansion, food, personal chef, maids and one of nation’s few state-funded butlers — have engaged in petty pilfering.

A politician a crook? Heck, I thought those two words were synonymous.

In court filings submitted as part of his defense, chef Todd Schneider has said that the McDonnells’ five children raided the mansion kitchen and liquor cabinet, taking large quantities of food and alcohol to their own homes or college dorm rooms. He also said that Maureen McDonnell had given away mansion pots and pans to her three daughters. McDonnell has declined to respond to those accusations, noting the ongoing criminal case against the chef.

Martin said the McDonnells have sought to properly distinguish personal expenses from state ones while living in the mansion, a 200-year-old Federal-style gem that is a public building and a private residence.

Virginia governor’s wife was paid $36,000 as consultant to coal philanthropy

By Rosalind S. Helderman,June 02, 2013

Maureen McDonnell, the wife of Virginia’s governor, was paid $36,000 last year to attend a handful of meetings as a consultant to the philanthropic arm of one of the state’s major coal companies, a top coal company official said.

Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) indicated on his annual financial disclosure forms for 2011 and 2012 that his wife served as a paid trustee of a family charity, the Frances G. and James W. McGlothlin Foundation.

But in an interview, James McGlothlin said the $21 million family foundation never named McDonnell to its board.

Not surprisingly, Virginia’s governor, who is either a criminal, incompetent, or both, declined to comment about this latest “error” on his annual disclosure forms. In our bastion state of progressivism, elected officials MUST legally disclose any employer that pays their spouses at least $10,000 a year.

According to The Washington Post, “By listing it as a paid trusteeship instead, he did not have to provide any information about the size of her compensation.”

So while thousands of Virginians have struggled over the course of McDonnell’s tenure as governor to find a job or a livable wage (by American standards), Maureen McDonnell was paid $36,000 in 2012 merely because she is the wife of a sitting governor. It’s good to be the king (and queen)!

I don’t wish for anyone, even Ken Cuccinelli, to be publicly humiliated. But when an elected official so egregiously affronts the laws of our state and its norms, it not only throws a big middle finger in the face of hard working and law-abiding Virginians, it also undermines the faith that many Virginian’s may have had in their system of government.

As I’ve said before, this may only be the tip of the iceberg for McDonnell. Given the picture that has been painted so far, McDonnell and his wife immersed themselves in a world of privilege and luxury paid for by wealthy Virginians who have business interests waiting to be massaged by the executive branch.

As something of an aside, all of these “gifts” make one wonder how much a company like Virginia Uranium Inc., with so much on the line during the last session of the General Assembly, gave to his highness, Bob McDonnell, to lead them to the promise land of boundless uranium ore?

Regardless of what we find out on that front, there’s no question now that McDonnell’s political career has just hit a nuclear meltdown!

Can you imagine being the employee who was told to pick up the dry cleaning? He/she (probably she) must hate McDonnell with a passion.

Typical Republican dick.

Tysons Engineer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You mean our crony pet project funding governor?
> No way I had no idea.

Well if that isn't the pot calling the silver line black.

They should have left that fucking chef alone. They tried to blame the chef for the food and booze Bobby's kids stole from the mansion. They should have just replaced the thefts and we'd have never heard a thing about it.

The chef has some good lawyers who are no doubt fanning the flames.

Bobby and his merry band of thieves are going to regret the day they went after the chef.

The chef appears to be a snake who has lawyered up - but I have no problem with that. There is a saying...never get in a pissing contest with a snake. McDonnell may have met his match. Now if they can pin the same sort of crap on Cucinnelli, karma will have come full circle.

what a hypocrite Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Under the Freedom of Information Act, The
> Washington Post sought records of personal
> expenses covered by the state over the couple’s
> 31 / 2 years in the mansion.


Which they did for Kaine too right?

Right?

Wait... what?

Why are you laughing?

WOW.


After months of whispering, Schneider was dismissed from the mansion amid a state police investigation into allegations of improprieties involving the kitchen operation. This March, a grand jury indicted Schneider on charges that he embezzled property valued at $200 or more from the state in 2011 and in January 2012. The indictments contained no further details.


state police investigation over food theft????

we talking pork chops?

over 200 bucks? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WOW.
>
>
> After months of whispering, Schneider was
> dismissed from the mansion amid a state police
> investigation into allegations of improprieties
> involving the kitchen operation. This March, a
> grand jury indicted Schneider on charges that he
> embezzled property valued at $200 or more from the
> state in 2011 and in January 2012. The indictments
> contained no further details.
>
>
> state police investigation over food theft????
>
> we talking pork chops?


Right? Talk about wasting resources throughout the government. There is more waste coming from McDonnell investigating this and his family's outrageous spending of tax dollars, than paying cops to sit on their asses and write speeding tickets!

He should have left the poor chef alone. Now the guy will have a charge on his record and will be harder for him to gain employment. Why would that guy ever risk his job stealing something in the mansion? Even more ridiculous is why would he have to steal food when he's the damn chef.

Based on the chef's attorney, McDonnell and family will be taken out to the woodshed.

This is just the beginning.

They picked the wrong guy to mess with.

I freaking hate McDonnell but this is petty crap. It is standard practice to use staffers as house negroes and the gifts are standard practice. Boot the piece of garbage out but I don't like the double standard.

Did I say that he's a piece of shit and a tratior to his party, in a party that is tratorous to the people who elected them?

Nasal spray on our dime! Nah, aah. I don't think so. The Post is really obsessed with taking down our sleep elixir stealing Guv'nor.

Could have used that $300 to mow half a median strip. Crook!

All people in any form of power are crooks. Not a sermon just a thought

Yep, I've been posting how much of a crook he is all year. Now the country knows it. A governor being investigated by the FBI and the Virginia State Police.

Really not a fan of Mcdonnell but clearly they're trying to nullify him as a Republican contender in any noteworthy future public office.

Democrats are worse than the Republicans because they point fingers while doing the same if not worse. The party of hypocrites. I know, I have worked for both political machines. The Washington Compost is an extension of the Democrats.

Wag the dog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Really not a fan of Mcdonnell but clearly they're
> trying to nullify him as a Republican contender in
> any noteworthy future public office.
>
> Democrats are worse than the Republicans because
> they point fingers while doing the same if not
> worse. The party of hypocrites. I know, I have
> worked for both political machines. The Washington
> Compost is an extension of the Democrats.


Correct. This is a hit job. Or actually, it's a pre-emptive strike. Knock him out now over $300 because otherwise he's not half bad. I mean, he couldn't fuck it up any worse than Timmy "I'll smoke a pole anyday" Kaine.

Yeah, he's a politician....

are you new?

Obvious Wingnut anon post is obvious.

Tray von Martin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wag the dog Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Really not a fan of Mcdonnell but clearly
> they're
> > trying to nullify him as a Republican contender
> in
> > any noteworthy future public office.
> >
> > Democrats are worse than the Republicans
> because
> > they point fingers while doing the same if not
> > worse. The party of hypocrites. I know, I have
> > worked for both political machines. The
> Washington
> > Compost is an extension of the Democrats.
>
>
> Correct. This is a hit job. Or actually, it's a
> pre-emptive strike. Knock him out now over $300
> because otherwise he's not half bad. I mean, he
> couldn't fuck it up any worse than Timmy "I'll
> smoke a pole anyday" Kaine.


He was done anyway. The WaPo will try and smear The Cooch by association. And Cuccinelli was a fool to take anything from Star Scientific. Now, it's much easier to paint him with the McDonnell/Star brush.

Sad McDonnell. Moved to the center, screwed over his fellow republicans in the state Senate and had the House of Delegates kill the Senate redistricting plan, passed a massive tax increase with help from the democrats in the HoD and the Senate. All for nothing. A moderate crook is still a crook.

Cuccinelli must be thanking his lucky stars every day to be running against such a useless candidate as McAuliffe.

Probe into gifts to McDonnells finds new undisclosed items valued at tens of thousands
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/va-politics/probe-of-gifts-to-mcdonnell-widens/2013/06/21/6fa41132-d6c0-11e2-a73e-826d299ff459_story.html

Federal authorities are asking Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell’s associates about previously undisclosed gifts given by a campaign donor to McDonnell’s wife that total tens of thousands of dollars and include money and expensive designer clothing, according to people familiar with the inquiry.

The questions are part of broad federal and state investigations into gifts to the governor and his family and whether McDonnell (R) took official action on behalf of anyone who gave gifts, people with knowledge of the investigation have said.

The probe already involves a $15,000 gift from wealthy businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr., chief executive of a major McDonnell campaign donor, for catering at the 2011 wedding of one of McDonnell’s daughters.

But the people with knowledge of the inquiry, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the investigation, say the scope is wider than just the wedding gift. The value and nature of additional gifts from Williams, including money provided in several checks, suggest that authorities are exploring a more extensive relationship between Williams and the McDonnells than previously revealed.

McDonnell has said that Williams’s company, Star Scientific Inc., the maker of a dietary supplement, received no special benefits. But the gifts came as the McDonnells showcased the company and its new product.

Additionally, famed Virginia socialite Patricia Kluge, who was one of the state’s wealthiest women before a dramatic and public crash during the recession, has been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury to answer questions related to the McDonnells, according to people who are familiar with her summons.

It is not clear what testimony authorities will seek from Kluge, who owned a winery and vast estate near Charlottesville before losing both in the economic downturn.

They were ultimately bought by Donald Trump. When the estate reopened as the Trump Winery in 2011, the McDonnells were in attendance, along with Trump and his son Eric.

Kluge’s attorney, Edward B. MacMahon Jr., said his client has done nothing wrong. “Patricia Kluge is a close friend of Mrs. McDonnell’s,” MacMahon said. “The government is apparently looking into lots of Mrs. McDonnell’s friends, but any insinuation that Kluge has any knowledge of anything illegal or improper done by either the governor or the First Lady is entirely wrong.’’

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment.

Tucker Martin, a spokesman for the governor, said “we will not address personal matters that are not relevant or germane to Virginia state government functions.”

But in a written statement, Martin also said that the governor has been “diligent in following Virginia’s existing laws regarding the reporting of gifts to state officeholders.”

He added that neither Williams nor Star Scientific have received any targeted tax incentives, economic-development grants, government contracts or board appointments during McDonnell’s time in office.

Jerry Kilgore, an attorney for Williams, declined to comment on the federal investigation.

Virginia law allows elected officials to accept gifts of any value, provided that they annually disclose those worth more than $50.

Since taking office in 2010, McDonnell has disclosed receiving $9,650 in personal gifts — including private plane rides and a summer lake-house vacation — from Williams and Star Scientific.

Star Scientific also contributed $108,452 to McDonnell’s campaign and his political-action committee.

State law does not require officials to disclose gifts that have been given to members of their immediate family. McDonnell has said that is why he did not disclose the $15,000 check for his daughter’s wedding, which he said was a gift to his daughter.

As public scrutiny of his relationship with Williams has mounted, McDonnell has declined to provide a full accounting of other gifts Williams provided to members of the McDonnell family.

A local prosecutor in Richmond is conducting a parallel investigation to the federal probe to determine whether McDonnell complied with state law in his annual financial filings.

That investigation could explore whether the governor received enough benefit from gifts given to his wife — particularly loans or gifts of money — that he should have considered them gifts to himself as well.

Federal authorities are exploring whether McDonnell performed official acts to boost the company in exchange for gifts from Williams, people familiar with the inquiry have said.

Three days before the 2011 wedding, Maureen McDonnell flew to Florida, where she touted the promise of a dietary supplement that Star Scientific was introducing to doctors and investors.

Three months later, the McDonnells allowed Star Scientific to use the 200-year-old Executive Mansion for an event to mark the launch of Anatabloc, which is an anti-inflammatory, non-FDA approved pill.

The first lady organized the event, but the governor also attended. His spokesman has said he stopped in to recognize the company for making grants to public universities.

The federal probe appears not to be limited to the McDonnells’ interactions with Williams.

State Del. David I. Ramadan (R-Loudoun), who confirmed this month that he has been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury next month, has said he has no connection to Williams or his company.

Ramadan, who is a jeweler, has declined to say whether he gave gifts to Maureen McDonnell.

Kluge, too, has no obvious connection to Star Scientific.

She has been active politically in Virginia but has given largely to Democrats, including more than $125,000 to Sen. Timothy M. Kaine’s gubernatorial campaign and inauguration. In 2010, however, she gave a $10,000 campaign contribution to McDonnell’s Inaugural Committee.

Friendly with the McDonnells, she served for 18 months in 2010 and 2011 as chairwoman of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion, a panel appointed by the governor and whose honorary head is the first lady.

For two decades, Kluge reigned as a particular kind of Virginia royalty, entertaining high society at her 45-room, 23,000-square-foot estate not far from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, outside of Charlottesville.

She had built the mansion with billionaire husband John Kluge, who was the nation’s wealthiest person during their marriage. Patricia Kluge kept the home after they divorced in 1990.

She later built a winery on 900 acres that was the crown jewel of the burgeoning Virginia wine industry. But her debts mounted amid the financial crash, and she declared bankruptcy in 2011.

Trump, a longtime friend, purchased Kluge’s holdings from trusts and banks, buying the winery in 2011 and her famed Albemarle House a year later.

Martin, the governor’s spokesman, said that before the sale at public auction, Secretary of Agriculture Todd Haymore had worked to identify potential buyers.

Martin said all efforts to save the enterprise were coordinated by Haymore, who had also worked with Kluge during the Kaine administration. He said it was in the best interest of the state to find a buyer.

“While Mrs. Kluge is a friend of the McDonnells, the Kluge Vineyard was Virginia’s largest and thus had a direct impact on the growing Virginia wine industry,” Martin said.

Eric Trump, who oversaw the purchase of the winery for the Trump Organization, said in an interview that while the McDonnells were supportive of the Trump takeover, they had no personal role in the deal.

“The governor, obviously, I think he’s probably a big proponent of ours — as would be any governor,” Trump said. But, he added, “the governor didn’t have a role in the sale.”

Trump said he has not been subpoenaed to appear at the grand jury or been interviewed by the FBI.
Attachments:

State law does not require officials to disclose gifts that have been given to members of their immediate family. McDonnell has said that is why he did not disclose the $15,000 check for his daughter’s wedding, which he said was a gift to his daughter.

As public scrutiny of his relationship with Williams has mounted, McDonnell has declined to provide a full accounting of other gifts Williams provided to members of the McDonnell family.


Why not disclose if he has nothing to hide?

So President Obama is using his office to target the second most successful Governor in the United States.

Yet ignoring The Scandals in governor offices occupied by Democrats.

Shocking, but not surprising.

Most people are politically color blind when it comes to govt employees who STEAL and CHEAT those they serve.

Show me a Dem who had his kid's wedding paid for by someone looking for influence and I will be equally disgusted.

It's the holier then thou crap that bugs me. These politicians are all greedy slimebags in my book, all just looking to milk as much from the taxpayers as possible.

Seriously, is there an honest politician anywhere?

A prominent political donor purchased a Rolex watch for Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, according to two people with knowledge of the gift, and the governor did not disclose it in his annual financial filings.

The $6,500 luxury watch was provided by wealthy businessman Jonnie R. Williams Sr., the people said. He is the chief executive of dietary supplement manufacturer Star Scientific and the person who paid for catering at the wedding of the governor’s daughter. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because of an ongoing federal investigation into the relationship between Williams and the McDonnell family.

The perks of politics


Gov. McDonnell has received over $300,000 in gifts since 2002. See all politicians and donors.
Graphic


Previous Washington Post coverage of Gov. Bob McDonnell and ties to Star Scientific.

.Williams’s gift came in August 2011 — about two weeks after he met with a top state health official to pitch the benefits of his company’s health products at a meeting arranged by first lady Maureen McDonnell, according to people who know of the meeting.

Williams bought the watch at the urging of Maureen McDonnell, who admired Williams’s own Rolex and suggested that he buy her a similar one she could give to her husband, the people said. Her proposal occurred moments before the meeting she had arranged with the state official, according to one person familiar with the request.

Man this guy is like peeling an onion! The more layers that come off, the more it stinks! I'm sure the Rolex was just an "oversight" as political crooks like to call it.

liberals are gay teenie weenies

The Rolex, engraved with the inscription “71st Governor of Virginia,” represents the first undisclosed gift known to have been used personally by McDonnell (R) among tens of thousands of dollars of undisclosed gifts given to the governor’s family.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment. Jerry Kilgore, an attorney for Williams, declined to comment on the federal investigation, as did Star Scientific’s corporate attorney, Abbe Lowell. Tucker Martin, a spokesman for the governor, also declined to comment on the watch or the investigation.

Federal investigators have been probing a series of gifts that the political supporter gave to the McDonnells, including $15,000 to pay for the catering at his daughter’s wedding reception.

They are also investigating other money provided to Maureen McDonnell, as well as expensive designer clothing — some bought in 2011 in New York City — according to people familiar with the inquiry.

The shopping trip emanated from a social occasion with Williams and Maureen McDonnell shortly after the governor won election. The governor’s wife mentioned that she would need an inauguration dress, preferably one from the designer Oscar de la Renta, and would like Williams’s help getting one, according to two people familiar with her suggestion.

Williams agreed to buy one for her, but a top staffer to the governor advised Williams and the first lady that such a gift was not allowed. A year later, the first lady contacted Williams to propose that he take her shopping at Bergdorf Goodman, the people familiar with the shopping said. In that store, Williams purchased an estimated $15,000 in clothing for Maureen McDonnell, they said.

The governor is the subject of broad federal and state investigations into gifts given to him and his family and whether McDonnell took official action on behalf of anyone who gave gifts, people with knowledge of the investigations have said.

In the spring of 2011, Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell flew to New York and was treated to a high-end shopping spree courtesy of Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams Sr.

During the trip, McDonnell spent time at the Manhattan showroom of famed designer Oscar de la Renta, where she tried on a suede jacket that cost at least $10,000. Williams put the garment on his tab.

Williams also bought the first lady two pairs of designer shoes, a Louis Vuitton leather handbag and a designer dress, according to sources familiar with the ongoing investigations into her husband, Gov. Bob McDonnell.

The presents did not appear on the statements of economic interest the governor filed for that year — and they did not have to. Virginia’s disclosure laws do not require officeholders to report gifts given to family members or gifts given by friends.

But the revelation of big spending on the first lady casts a harsher light on the relationship between the governor and Williams — whose troubled Henrico County-based dietary supplement maker and former tobacco company has lost money for 10 years, is in litigation with the state over a $700,000 tax assessment, and is the subject of a federal securities investigation.

According to a regulatory filing and the company’s Web site, Star Scientific has a corporate code of conduct that prohibits corporate officers or executives from providing gifts of value to public officials.



A big woops.

Another communiqué that wowed the attendees… Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams introduced the First Lady of Virginia, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s wife Maureen, and in a brief talk she offered the Governors mansion for the “launch” of Anatabloc that Star is now packaging and readying to go to market. (Likely - by the end of the month, I hear.) Williams called the coming “event” an historic occasion.” Star Scientific’s home base is in Glen Allen, Virginia.




Is Maureen a scientist? She was a cheerleader, right?

What qualifications does she have to comment about this drug?

politically neutral Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Most people are politically color blind when it
> comes to govt employees who STEAL and CHEAT those
> they serve.
>
> Show me a Dem who had his kid's wedding paid for
> by someone looking for influence and I will be
> equally disgusted.
>
> It's the holier then thou crap that bugs me. These
> politicians are all greedy slimebags in my book,
> all just looking to milk as much from the
> taxpayers as possible.
>
> Seriously, is there an honest politician anywhere?


It's true. I would say I normally vote Republican (or libertarian), but they are all the exact same when it comes down to their morals.

All politicians abuse their power, steal our money, and never get anything accomplished once they "win" their cushy, benefits for life, tax-payer funded job. It's sickening. We could cut out such a larger percent of the government and taxes, and have the same services without all the waste!

How they can wake up in the morning and look at themselves in a mirror without disgust is beyond my comprehension.

Clearly, moral behavior is for "the little people". Let them eat cake. Outrageous conduct on the part of Maureen McDonnell, who clearly feels entitled to these legalized bribes. As does her husband.

I'd love to know who made this rule regarding spouses. I'd bet money it was a Republican.

Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell welcomed the nation’s governors to Williamsburg for the annual meeting of the National Governors Association last July.

At the historic executive mansion in Richmond, McDonnell’s wife, Maureen, hosted a lunch for the governors’ spouses. To welcome the crowd to Virginia, Maureen McDonnell distributed a gift bag with unique products from around the state, such as a wine coaster and stopper from a Colonial Williamsburg silver shop and a champagne flute from the Trump Winery in Charlottesville.

Also included in the gift bags were samples of Anatabloc, a dietary supplement containing a chemical found in tobacco that is manufactured by Star Scientific, the company whose chief executive paid the $15,000 catering bill at the wedding of the McDonnells’ daughter and whose ties with the first family are now the subject of an FBI inquiry.

Jonnie R. Williams Sr. $3,255 Transportation to a meeting in Kentucky 2011
Jonnie R. Williams Sr. $3,000 The use of a lake house and a boat 2011
Jonnie R. Williams Sr. $3,000 Summer lodging for a family vacation 2012
Jonnie R. Williams Sr. $1,500 Thanksgiving Dinner and Lodging 2010

I expected them to announce that the guvner was given a ferrari....

"I've got a lot I want to do," McDonnell said. "I'm not going to be distracted by anonymous sources and naysayers."

The governor also said the news reports had taken a personal toll on him and his family, which has been the focus of stories about gifts from Williams. His company produces a dietary supplement that Maureen McDonnell has promoted publicly.

"This has been a difficult time," he said. "It does get upsetting when people are going after my family."

And McDonnell reiterated previous statements that neither Williams nor his company have received any benefits from the state during his term in office — while maintaining that some details of the reports on the Williams relationship and the first family’s use of mansion resources have been unfair and inaccurate.



Ok, so this CEO dude donated $100k to the PAC or reelection campaign, he drops $15k on clothes for the wife, $7k on a watch, gives them his vacation home, pays $15k for the daughter's wedding and DOESN"T EXPECT ANYTHING IN RETURN???

Honestly? Does he think we are dumb?

A second investigation, which Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli last November forwarded to Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring, is reviewing whether McDonnell properly completed his required economic disclosure forms. The forms mandate the reporting of all gifts to elected officials valued at more than $50, but exempt gifts to family and from personal friends.

VA law is waaayyy tooo lax on public persons disclosing gifts--they exempt family members. I guess they need to tighten that loophole up.

The watch will be his doing in. Williams clearly bought a MANS watch for him, gave it to wife who in turn gave it to husband.

I don't know how rich McDonnell is--probably not very--but if my spouse gave me a $7k watch, I sure as hell would ask them where they got it.

I am very, very disappointed with Bob McDonnell. I want my politicians to be highly skilled in the art of corruption. Bob, by failing to pull off even this minor shakedown of a donor without getting caught, has shown he's not qualified for higher office.

It's a shame, I thought he'd make a great president.

keeps getting uglier Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They
> also have used state employees to run personal
> errands for their adult children. In the middle of
> a workday, for example, a staffer retrieved Rachel
> McDonnell’s newly hemmed pants at a tailoring
> shop nine miles from the governor’s mansion.
> Another time, a state worker was dispatched to a
> dry cleaner 20 miles away to pick up a storage box
> for Cailin McDonnell’s wedding dress.


Every government worker, from local to federal level, who has use of a government-owned car, runs personal errands on the clock. This should not be a suprise to anyone.

Chef says Va. governor forced him to cater events
Tuesday - 7/2/2013, 11:22am ET

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The former chef for Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell claims in court papers that he was forced to cater private and political events and do personal shopping for the governor's family.

Todd Schneider says that as payment for his catering services at non-state events, he was told to take from the Executive Mansion kitchen food that he is accused of embezzling. He lists the governor's political action committee as one of the organizations that did not pay him for his catering services.

Schneider makes the allegations in a Richmond Circuit Court brief filed Monday supporting his motion to dismiss the four felony embezzlement charges against him. A hearing on that motion is set for next Monday, and Schneider's trial is scheduled for October.

A Virginia lawmaker is calling on Gov. Bob McDonnell to "come clean" about the undeclared gifts he and his family have received from donors or resign.

"If you or your family has received gifts of the type alleged, then you should disclose that fully and immediately," writes Sen. J. Chapman Petersen, D-Fairfax in a one page letter to McDonnell dated Monday.

Petersen's letter is apparently the first from a member of the General Assembly to pose the issue of McDonnell's resignation amid the unfolding investigations into gifts the first family received from donors, including Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams Sr.

The letter brought a strong rebuke from McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin.

"This blatantly political statement from Senator Petersen was not unexpected," he said. "The senator’s letter appears to be premised on unconfirmed and inaccurate media reports."

Williams, who donated more than $100,000 to McDonnell's campaign and political action committee, has also showered the first family with gifts -- most notably vacations, designer clothing and $15,000 used to help pay the catering bill at the 2011 Executive Mansion wedding of the governor's daughter, Cailin.

Petersen suggests that the first family return all consumer items received to the donor or sell them and donate the money to the state's Literary Fund, which supports public schools.

"That is the only method by which the public can regain trust in your office. Without that trust, there is no purpose in continuing to serve," the letter continues.

"If you are unable to explain (or deny) these reports or return the items, then I humbly suggest that you should step down as governor and permit the lieutenant governor to serve out the balance of your term," concludes Petersen's letter.

A copy of the letter was forwarded to Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, House Speker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, and Sen. Charles J. Colgan, D-Prince William, the most senior member of the Virginia Senate.

Not to take away from the Republican "scandal," but I wonder when, if ever, the Washington Post will cover the story of the Mayoral race in the nation's capital where the sitting Mayor bought off the race against another black candidate to was "too white." Trail leading out of Gray's office right to jail. Staff pleading guilty all over the carpet. WaPo? AWOL.

Oops. "WHO was "too white." How do you edit a post on this thing?

Ranger Rikki Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oops. "WHO was "too white." How do you edit a
> post on this thing?


You gotta register to edit.

Vince Grey is an indictment waiting to happen, I think him and the teachers really did Fenty dirty.

"The governor has been diligent over the years in making his financial disclosures," said Martin, the governor's spokesman.

McDonnell, who signed the catering contract and made deposits, has said that he did not declare the $15,000 check for his daughter's wedding because the money was a gift to his daughter.

He has refused to comment on whether he was aware that the $6,500 Rolex watch he received from first lady Maureen McDonnell in 2011 was, in fact, a gift provided by Williams.

---------------------------------------------------

Take notes here, guys.....

Can't remember where the 7000 watch came from

Signed the contract for the wedding but the $15k gift was to the daughter even though the wife got the refund check

But he was "diligent over the years" with his filing.

Give me a break.

Thank you wingnut. I'll let the NSA know I'm here.

Let's look at the accuser.....

Todd Schneider had worked for decades in the catering and restaurant business in Virginia and his native Connecticut, but Schneider has been no stranger to courtrooms, according to records obtained by the AP. Many of those appearances signaled financial strains.

State and federal tax liens totaling nearly $400,000 were filed against Schneider in Richmond and Chesterfield courts from 2006 through this year. Court records in Chesterfield Circuit Court state he has not settled a nearly $54,000 lien, some of that assessed while he worked in the mansion.

Food purveyors, a home heating company, an attorney and others also went to small claims or circuit courts to press him for payments totaling thousands of dollars. The majority of the claims were settled, but the disposition of all the cases is not clear, based on available public records.

A felony embezzlement charge in May 2000 was brought in Richmond General District Court against Schneider, and incomplete court records indicate it was reduced to a misdemeanor in return for a guilty plea. He received a six-month suspended sentence. Specifics were not available at the courthouse, nor was another felony charge that was dropped.



-----------------------------------------------


He is in debt and a known embezzler.....

not to be trusted Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Let's look at the accuser.....
>
> Todd Schneider had worked for decades in the
> catering and restaurant business in Virginia and
> his native Connecticut, but Schneider has been no
> stranger to courtrooms, according to records
> obtained by the AP. Many of those appearances
> signaled financial strains.
>
> State and federal tax liens totaling nearly
> $400,000 were filed against Schneider in Richmond
> and Chesterfield courts from 2006 through this
> year. Court records in Chesterfield Circuit Court
> state he has not settled a nearly $54,000 lien,
> some of that assessed while he worked in the
> mansion.
>
> Food purveyors, a home heating company, an
> attorney and others also went to small claims or
> circuit courts to press him for payments totaling
> thousands of dollars. The majority of the claims
> were settled, but the disposition of all the cases
> is not clear, based on available public records.
>
> A felony embezzlement charge in May 2000 was
> brought in Richmond General District Court against
> Schneider, and incomplete court records indicate
> it was reduced to a misdemeanor in return for a
> guilty plea. He received a six-month suspended
> sentence. Specifics were not available at the
> courthouse, nor was another felony charge that was
> dropped.

Bobby Mac's as dirty as they come.

now this:

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/07/governor_mcdonnells_office_denies_his_resignation_is_imminent.html

Takes One to Know One Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Bobby Mac's as dirty as they come.


Show me the embezzlement conviction against him and all the tax liens against him.

One of the allegations from the cook is the use of the mansion for fundraisers for other groups--PACs, etc??

Is that legal?

Did the taxpayers foot that bill?

As legal and public pressure mounts over the use of Executive Mansion resources by Virginia’s first family, Gov. Bob McDonnell late last week reimbursed the state for nearly $2,400 in food and household supplies used by his children.

The governor’s office disclosed the reimbursement Monday, the same day that a Richmond Circuit Court judge deferred until later this week a decision on whether to dismiss the four-count embezzlement indictment against former mansion chef Todd Schneider.

Sean McDonnell, the 21-year-old son of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, was arrested Saturday in Charlottesville and charged with public swearing and intoxication.

Few details of the circumstances surrounding the arrest were immediately available. The charge is considered a Class 4 Misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $250.

According to Charlottesville General District Court records, McDonnell was released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 12.

"This is a personal matter and is being addressed by the family," said McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin.

McDonnell, a former soccer standout at Deep Run High School, will be a senior this fall at the University of Virginia with his twin brother, Bobby. Both boys are on the roster of the University of Virginia men's club soccer squad.

The arrest is the latest trouble for Virginia's first family, beset by inquiries into its acceptance of personal gifts from the governor's political donors and its use of mansion resources over the last three-and-a-half years.

not to be trusted Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> -----------------------------------------------
>
>
> He is in debt and a known embezzler.....

Maybe so, but I bet they wish they had left that motherfucker alone!

I sure am glad that no one in the media ever paid attention to the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of "gifts" that I was showered with as governor. Otherwise, people may not have elected me Senator. Suckers!

He's a total crook he stole 64 dollars from me

Tim Kaine Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I sure am glad that no one in the media ever paid
> attention to the hundreds of thousands of dollars
> worth of "gifts" that I was showered with as
> governor. Otherwise, people may not have elected
> me Senator. Suckers!


Yeah Tim, but you weren't stupid enough to sign a catering contract for something that was supposed to be a legal gift to a family member. You weren't stupid enough to try to pin your kids' food and booze thefts on the chef. The list goes on and on.

You're a pretty sharp cookie, Tim. You wouldn't have gotten bagged over shit like that. Democrats are better thieves, and that's alll there is to it!

So the governor and his family stole $2400 worth of food and then paid the taxpayers back.

No crime there.

Does the chef get the same deal?

legal question Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So the governor and his family stole $2400 worth
> of food and then paid the taxpayers back.
>
> No crime there.
>
> Does the chef get the same deal?

No crime there huh?

So if another state employee charged $2400 of personal items to their Commonwealth credit card, would they still be employed? Facing possible charges?

A prominent political donor gave $70,000 to a corporation owned by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his sister last year, and the governor did not disclose the money as a gift or loan, according to people with knowledge of the payments.

The donor, wealthy businessman Jonnie Williams Sr., also gave a previously unknown $50,000 check to the governor’s wife, Maureen, in 2011, the people said.

The money to the corporation and Maureen McDonnell brings to $145,000 the amount Williams gave to assist the McDonnell family in 2011 and 2012 — funds that are now at the center of federal and state investigations.

The payments to the corporation, confirmed by people familiar with the transactions, offer the first public example of money provided by Williams that would directly benefit the governor and not just his family.

The money went from a trust, controlled by Williams, to MoBo Real Estate Partners, a limited-liability corporation formed in 2005 by McDonnell and his sister, the sources said.

McDonnell viewed the payments to MoBo and to his wife as loans and not gifts, according to three people familiar with the transactions. State law requires elected officials to disclose their personal loans but not loans made to their corporate interests.

J. Tucker Martin, a spokesman for the governor, declined to comment on the payments other than to say that McDonnell has been diligent in filling out legally mandated disclosures.

Williams’ first payment to the McDonnell family came in a $50,000 check made out to Maureen McDonnell from his trust on May 23, 2011, the people familiar with the transactions said. That was the same day Williams wrote a separate check for the catering at Cailin McDonnell’s wedding. Then, in March 2012, Williams wrote a $50,000 check from his trust to MoBo, which was followed by an additional $20,000 payment to the corporation that spring, the people said.

In annual financial-disclosure forms, McDonnell has indicated that he owns a stake in MoBo, which he reported was associated with two Virginia Beach rental properties he purchased in 2005 and 2006 with his wife and his sister, who is also named Maureen.

The name of MoBo, formed in 2005, apparently comes from the combination of the names “Maureen” and “Bob” and is the entity that makes mortgage payments on the homes and pays for the properties’ renovations and upkeep.

Virginia law allows elected officials to accept gifts of any size, including money, provided they annually disclose those worth at least $50. The law does not require the disclosure of gifts given to members of an elected official’s immediate family, nor gifts provided by relatives or “personal friends.”

State law requires officials to disclose loans made to them and members of their immediate family. But it does not require elected officials to spell out their business liabilities.

One person familiar with MoBo’s finances indicated that corporate records show the governor and his sister agreed to a low-interest loan with Williams. Terms of the loan dictated that they would make no payments for three years but return the $70,000 by 2015.

That person indicated that MoBo had trouble keeping up with expenses after the collapse of the real estate market and had accepted three previous loans, two from McDonnell’s family in 2007 and 2008 and another from a family friend in 2010.

He indicated that the loan to the family friend has been satisfied and the loans from the family member have been partially repaid.

The payments came as Maureen McDonnell told friends that the first couple was facing financial stress, two people said, in part because of difficulty renting the beach houses. The governor, his wife and sister purchased one of the homes for $1.15 million in 2005 and the other for $850,000 in 2006. According to assessments, the beach properties have declined in value since the McDonnells purchased them during a red-hot real estate market.

I have to wonder if the kids college tuition was paid for by Williams as well.

Let's hope the feds are smart enough to look at that.

He reopened the rest areas in the Commonwealth, so I don't give a crap what he's done! He's good in my book.

Matt0681 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> He reopened the rest areas in the Commonwealth, so
> I don't give a crap what he's done! He's good in
> my book.


Great, now tell me why the fuck I should care. I'm not a dumb ass truck driver dumb shit.

Quote, " Let's see where the investigation leads. If he is guilty, he must pay the price." by no libiot ever.

I guess Mac was able to reopen the rest areas and employ all the teachers because he didn't pay into the VRS pension by a couple hundred million.

Gotta love these republicans--they promise us they won't raise our taxes, swear they balance the budget, but dig a bigger debt hole.

Maybe this clown from Star Scientific can pick up the tab??

I agree. His final year tax grab was bullshit.

I happened to be at the same bar as him that night. The dude was trashed. He was passing out on people at the bar.

I was the very first person to utter the name Star Scientific or point out how crooked this governor was. Before any investigations. When all I had was a Norfolk Newspaper as a source.

Little did I know, that little stream would eventually turn into a never ending waterfall of corruption this Governor and Attorney General Cooch took part in. What an embarrassment.

I used to hold my state in higher regard than this. This state has really been damaged by this Governor.

This whole thing is a red herring on the transportation thingie bestowed upon us by the state. We suffer massive congestion due to lack of funding to fix simple things like make Rt 50 three lanes inside the beltway! No our tax money is going to suport super highways that will have to be built eventually any how but neglect what our tax money should have provided us to begin with instead of paving some back watwer area of the state! Fx county pkway is a perfect example of non funding by the state.

There are press reports about the investigations and alleged relationships between our company and one of our executives and several Virginia elected
officials. These matters could cause damage to our Company.


The above is from Star Scientific's SEC filing....who else beside Kook and Mac got handouts from Johnnie?

Virginia Sales and Use Tax Assessment
In 2002, the Virginia Department of Taxation asserted a Virginia Sales and Use Tax assessment for the period January 1, 1999, through March 31, 2002,
against us with respect to our tobacco-curing barns in the amount of $860,115. We applied for a correction of the assessment and a total abatement of the tax
on the grounds that our barns are exempt from sales and use taxes under the industrial use and processing exemption and/or the agricultural exemption. In a
letter dated October 7, 2004, our company received notification from the Commonwealth of Virginia that an adverse decision had been made by the
Commissioner of Taxation with respect to the sales and use tax assessment previously issued to our company. On August 10, 2010 the Commonwealth of
Virginia responded to our request for reconsideration of the state’s sales and use tax assessment with respect to our tobacco curing barns. The Commonwealth
disagreed with our position that the barns are part of the manufacturing process and, therefore, exempt from sales and use taxes under the industrial use and
processing exemption and/or the agricultural exemption, concluding that the barns are taxable under the Commonwealth’s sales tax laws and regulation. On
July 14, 2011 we filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court for Mecklenburg County, Virginia seeking a determination that the purchase of our company’s curing
barns was exempt from Virginia sales and use tax and an abatement of all taxes and interest assessed against our company by Virginia’s Commissioner of
Revenue. The Commonwealth of Virginia filed an answer to our complaint on July 29, 2011 asserting that the assessment amount was properly determined.
The case is currently in the pre-trial phase of discovery. The sales and use tax assessment plus penalties and interest together, as of December 31, 2012,
totaled approximately $1.7 million. Interest will continue to accrue during our company’s pursuit of a resolution of this matter.

STAR SCIENTIFIC, INC.
CORPORATE CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT
AND CORPORATE ETHICS
(March 2004)




Governments
Due to the nature of our business, we have frequent contact with Federal and state
regulators and taxing authorities. The distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products is
tightly controlled, and Star makes every effort to comply with all applicable laws.
When working with government agencies and officials, we must know the regulations
and policies governing our conduct. What is acceptable practice in the commercial market may
violate strict rules and regulations in government interactions. In all our dealings with
governments, our actions must comply with applicable laws and regulations. Do not offer or
provide gifts, gratuities or political contributions or discuss employment opportunities with a
government official. Even paying for a business meal is prohibited by some government policies.
To prevent legal problems for ourselves or the Company, and because laws differ throughout the
country, you should work closely with Star's General Counsel when dealing with the
government.

The Washington Post has reported that Williams also gave $10,000 to another McDonnell daughter, Jeanine, in December to help defray the cost of her wedding this May.

$15,000 for wife
$15,000 for daughter's wedding reception
$10,000 for another daughter's wedding gift
$50,000 payout to wife
$70,000 payout to Gov, sister and wife.
$7,000 for Rolex

Why is this man in Jail on bribery and corruption charges.

$177,000 in bribes and under the table payments.

This is the type of flim-flam, fradulent, snake-oil salesman that our beloved Gov. Bob Haircut is involved in. A lifetime stock huckster and slimeball. What judge of character ye be, Bobby?

Jonnie R. Williams fraudulent past:District Court for the District of Massachusetts, entered Orders of Permanent Injunction against Jonnie R. Williams. In addition Williams was ordered to pay disgorgement and prejudgment interest in the amount of $294,844. The Commission's complaint alleged that the defendants were involved in a fraudulent scheme to promote Spectra's securities through false publicity in violation of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section lOeb) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule lOb-5 thereunder.Williams was also charged with violations of the beneficial ownership provisions by his alleged failure to report his sales of Spectra's stock during the course of the publicity campaign. Williams, Hannan and Baker consented to the orders without admitting or denying the allegations. [Jonnie R. Williams,• Civ. Action No.3-12789JLT. D. Mass] (LR-13948)

Jonnie R. Williams Sr., a corporate executive whose gifts to Gov. Bob McDonnell and his family are under public scrutiny, offered a free flight to Florida for top Virginia health officials to evaluate research involving a dietary supplement produced by his company, Star Scientific Inc.

Secretary of Health and Human Resources William A. Hazel Jr. said he declined the trip offer, made nearly three years ago, for a flight to visit the Roskamp Institute, a research organization in Sarasota, Fla., that has worked with Star on potential application of its products for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Hazel said Williams asked him to extend the invitation to then-Health Commissioner Karen Remley, who the secretary said also declined. In an interview Wednesday, Remley said she has never spoken with Williams and did not recall being asked to meet with him or to visit the Roskamp Institute during her time as commissioner

This relationship between Johnnie and Big Mac was 100% PERSONAL.

They were VERY close friends--has nothing to do with political favors...repeat NOTHING.

Johnnie gave Big Mac over $200k in cash and gifts because of this very close friendship.

In fact, I bet Big Mac paid for Johnnie's kids' wedding.

Buddies....yeah, lifelong friends...since McGrifter was elected governor in 2009.

Governor McBob is on the dole....taking handouts like some trailer trash meth bandit.

Gov. MethBob, yeah right.

Bobby Mac overextended himself with three $1 million mortgages: one on his personal residence and two on vacation homes. That plus a bitchy, demanding-ass wife caused him to fish for dollars and Crooked Jonnie was there to ply the benjamins.

It's an embarrassment to the Commonwealth to have the CEO -- Chief Elected Official -- behaving like a $20 whore serving up sloppy blowjobs.

Nothing compared to Michelle and Barack Obama's obscene spending on State dinners and lavish vacations for their family and other assorted leeches.

OK let me go on the record by stating the obvious (well not that obvious because I'm a semi-anonymous poster on a web forum). But I'm a McDonnell fan. I think the dude is a decent man and has been a relatively good governor - indeed one of the better we've had in awhile. Certainly better than do-nothing Tim Kaine (and to be bipartisan - also a hell of a lot better than Jim Gilmore). He's managed to be relatively conservative without being a douchebag or flake like alot of the tea party folks out there. He's gotten quite a lot done. So I'm biased.

That said, this looks bad. It smells quite bad. But to date it boils down to this.

1) Governor McDonnell accepted a (shitload) of gifts from Johnnie Williams without reporting them. It looks bad, but it isn't a crime. He can amend the reporting documents.

2) There is still no evidence of quid pro quo.

That is, while the Governor and his family got a shitload of gifts, he doesn't seem to have given Johnnie Williams any special treatment.

Now, it's possible another shoe could drop and it could turn out that McDonnell has been doing all sorts of shady stuff for Williams & StarScientific, but to date...there isn't any evidence of that.

My personal, somewhat generous theory - but the best I've heard from folks in that orbit - is that McDonnell and Williams' family became rather close on a personal basis. ANd so for whatever reason it didn't occur to him that this stuff looked bad.

We'll see. As it is he's definitely paying the price for not having a bit more skepticism to all the handouts.

While I am a democrat, my opinion is entirely non political.

McDonnell underpaid by hundreds of millions into VRS to balance this budget.

His actions on abortion are over the top.

Nobody gives somebody two hundred thousand bucks without getting something in return. Nobody.

How is there no quid pro quo when Williams launched his product at the Governors mansion, and Mrs McDonnell flew to Florida to speak on his company's behalf days before the wedding he gave thousands to them for? Bs on that they were def doing him favors and I bet this is just the tip of iceberg.

I personally am loving the fact that Transvaginal Bob is going down in flames. Resign resign resign Governor Ultrasound. Excuse me, Governor Rolex. How hilarious that he says the gift was for his wife when it is a men's watch engraved with "71st Governor of Virginia". I hope he goes to jail!

I don't understand it. Bobby Mac is a superstar among the right wingers. They would gladly pay to listen to his wisdom. If Bobby need some extra cash, he should have just hit the wingnut circuit and collected tons of five-figure speaking fees.

Too lazy, I guess.

Refugee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How is there no quid pro quo when Williams
> launched his product at the Governors mansion, and
> Mrs McDonnell flew to Florida to speak on his
> company's behalf days before the wedding he gave
> thousands to them for? Bs on that they were def
> doing him favors and I bet this is just the tip of
> iceberg.
>
> I personally am loving the fact that Transvaginal
> Bob is going down in flames. Resign resign resign
> Governor Ultrasound. Excuse me, Governor Rolex.
> How hilarious that he says the gift was for his
> wife when it is a men's watch engraved with "71st
> Governor of Virginia". I hope he goes to jail!

Without "Transvaginal Bob" (a meme started by that purveyor of centrist wisdom, Rachel Maddow), there *would* be a mandated transvaginal ultrasound.

It was the Governor who amended the bill to require the less-invasive "jelly on belly" version. The legislature then went along with the update.

koot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't understand it. Bobby Mac is a superstar
> among the right wingers. They would gladly pay to
> listen to his wisdom. If Bobby need some extra
> cash, he should have just hit the wingnut circuit
> and collected tons of five-figure speaking fees.
>
> Too lazy, I guess.


You're correct, you don't understand. McDonnell was dead to the right wingers after he signed onto a tax and spend bill for transporation that allowed NoVa and Tidewater to raise the state income tax by almost 20% (from 5 to 6%). He lost the right on that and now he's adrift, a poli-crook without a party. Only RINO's like him now.

It's somewhat sad that he accepted improper benefits. Some in the GOP thought he would do well on the national stage. Now, he doesn't have a chance in hell.

_____________
We are all Eesh.

Jelly on Belly, I like it! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> koot Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I don't understand it. Bobby Mac is a
> superstar
> > among the right wingers. They would gladly pay
> to
> > listen to his wisdom. If Bobby need some extra
> > cash, he should have just hit the wingnut
> circuit
> > and collected tons of five-figure speaking
> fees.
> >
> > Too lazy, I guess.
>
>
> You're correct, you don't understand. McDonnell
> was dead to the right wingers after he signed onto
> a tax and spend bill for transporation that
> allowed NoVa and Tidewater to raise the state
> income tax by almost 20% (from 5 to 6%). He lost
> the right on that and now he's adrift, a
> poli-crook without a party. Only RINO's like him
> now.

Do you have any concept of a timeline? Maybe his speaking engagements would have dried up after the transportation bill. Bobby and the cheerleader's money woes started years before.

As Maureen McDonnell was growing into her public role, she sometimes lashed out at her staff behind closed doors, according to a volunteer who collaborates with the first lady on mansion projects, a former mansion employee and a state employee familiar with mansion operations.

Not satisfied with how a maid had cleaned her bathroom one day in 2011, the first lady got down on her hands and knees and scrubbed the marble floor with bleach. She did this in her underwear to avoid getting bleach on her clothes. Then, according to four people close to the situation, she summoned two mansion staff members — professionals, not housekeepers — and directed them to strip down and scrub.

The staff members immediately complained to colleagues, the people said anonymously to maintain their relationship with the administration. Scarbrough, Maureen McDonnell’s spokeswoman, declined to comment.

The former mansion employee and four people who work with current and former staffers alleged that she had screamed at employees, called and sent text messages to them in the middle of the night for minor matters, such as a lost household item, and pushed them to pursue extravagant plans, such as her ultimately aborted effort to install a $400,000 Georgian-revival fireplace in the federal-style mansion dining room over the objections of architectural advisers. She has reduced maids and a state trooper to tears, the people said.

But some staff members have complained that Maureen McDonnell sometimes has moved ahead with projects without thinking them through.

She led an effort to have portraits painted of every living first lady without lining up a place to hang them, for instance. A year after they were unveiled with great fanfare, the paintings have yet to find a permanent home.

Some volunteers involved with overseeing the privately funded portraits have dismissed them as a vanity project. Tom Camden, until recently curator of the state art collection, was not critical of the portraits but acknowledged that Maureen McDonnell had asked for several changes to hers.

“I understand how Mrs. McDonnell thought,” he said. “And I think she wanted her best image, whether it was necessarily historically accurate or not.”