"Giftgate": Sources confirm Virginia's Republican Governor Bob McDonnell negotiating resignation

[kpete]

Sources confirm McDonnell negotiating resignation



Multiple sources in Richmond's legal community have confirmed to me that the investigation of Star Scientific by state and federal prosecutors turned up what they feel is sufficient evidence to charge Virginia's Republican Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen with one or more felonies and in consequence, McDonnell is attempting to negotiate his resignation in exchange for no prosecution of Virginia's first couple.

...........

Confirmation of this story also explains the sudden shift in position of Virginia's Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Last week, Ken Cuccinelli claimed he was unaware of the investigation of Bob McDonnell. This past Monday he claimed the investigation was "not related to me." Today, Wednesday July 10, 2013, Ken Cuccinelli attempted to take credit for the investigation.* According to NBC News'

First Read blog:

The question now becomes whether McDonnell's fall from grace hurts gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli, who Democrats point out also has close ties to Jonnie Williams (including accepting gifts from him). The Cuccinelli campaign responds that Cucinelli’s AG office initiated this investigation, and they don’t believe McAuliffe will be a credible messenger to attack them on this issue. But it’s hard to see how this doesn’t hurt Cuccinelli, because he needs to court moderates and the GOP business community, and right now McDonnell looks to be toxic to help him with those groups. Meanwhile, the Cuccinelli campaign is hitting Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe for campaigning today with Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley. “Gov. O’Malley signed the largest tax increase in Maryland history and earned a ‘D’ rating for supporting increased spending and higher taxes. He supports the war on coal, Obamacare, and even forced non-union teachers to pay union fees,” the Cuccinelli campaign says in a release.

http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/10/19394299-first-thoughts-on-the-ropes

Get it Ken? You can't attack Terry McAuliffe for his association with a honest, fiscally responsible Democratic governor and expect to avoid having your relationship with crooked, ethically compromised Republican Governor Bob McDonnell examined. In point of fact, it appears that Cuccinelli attempted to delay or even derail investigation of McDonnell. Ken Cuccinelli is hopelessly entangled with Virginia's soon to be disgraced Governor Bob McDonnell. It's time to examine the evidence pointing to Cuccinelli trying to cover up "Giftgate."

http://www.the-richmonder.com/2013/07/sources-confirm-mcdonnell-negotiating.html?spref=tw


(sorry if this got posted, i wanted to log in my journal, kp)

[MotherPetrie]

1. K&R

[questionseverything]

54. yahooooooooooo washington

why hasn't the justice department marched in and arrested this guy?

seigleman never got a dime but he sits in the federal pen,rod b of illinois never got a dime but after he stood with employees against bank of america he was quickly arrested

[forestpath]

2. As a VA resident I say PROSECUTE THE GRIFTERS!!!!

[FSogol]

6. Same here. Send them to a Federal Pen. n/t

[kpete]

11. forestpath: you will like this:

[forestpath]

17. Thanks! I've been following this closely in the Washington Post but it's nice to have

everything in one graphic!

[sulphurdunn]

44. I'd put Governor McBob

in prison just for what he's done to public education, let alone for the rest of his cheap hustles. I hope he takes Big Kenny Cuccinelli down with him because that sorry SOB is even worse.

[xtraxritical]

55. If he thinks he can resign and not do time he can think again.

[dgibby]

49. As another Va. resident, I second that emotion!

Can't get rid of them soon enough. Take the Kuch with them!

[think]

52. Agree /nt

[atreides1]

76. Agreed

The both of them need to serve some time in prison...

[HipChick]

3. lol! Let me watch Rachel tonight..she has been dogging him non-stop

[malaise]

12. Last night she was on to Ken too

He took gifts as well

[Nay]

20. God, I hope this smashes his chances in the election. He's such a nutjob. nt

[DCBob]

4. wow.. this is big if true.

[carolinayellowdog]

5. Hooray!

Rachel Maddow is the only person I've seen paying much attention to McDonnell at the national level; but she has been terrific.

[malaise]

13. Al Sharpton as well n/t

[spooky3]

26. I think she's been ticked since she learned of his thesis

In which he expressed homophobic views.

Karma...

[Merlot]

31. She was also calling him "Governor Ultrasound"

[sufrommich]

7. He should not be allowed to negotiate a deal

to avoid prosecution. If he broke the law he should pay the price,I'll bet as a republican he certainly isn't in favor of mere proles negotiating their way out of prosecution.What's good for the goose...

[Nay]

22. I agree. He should be indicted and thrown out of office, and suffer some legal penalties

beside just losing his position.

[LondonReign2]

39. No, don't you understand?

If you are in a position of power, you get to negotiate your way out of felonies.



That certainly seems to be the way the GOPers think.

[NOVA_Dem]

8. McAuliffe is going to walk right into office.

I had no idea it would be this easy for him.

[Sheepshank]

9. Accepting the gift illegal or unethical?

Last edited Fri Jul 12, 2013, 11:27 AM - Edit history (1)

Either way, he's walking away with a ton of cash and goods and should be financially set until the next election... where a la Sanford, he'll run again and get re-elected. Thus says my tea leaves.

[forestpath]

42. He'd be out for good - in VA governors can only serve one term.

[Sheepshank]

43. Ahhh so then a run for the Senate? n/t

[forestpath]

48. Possibly but I think he'd have real problems.

[ohheckyeah]

61. Not quite right. They are limited to one consecutive term...

they are eligible to run again after a break of four years.

[DemoTex]

10. Next stop => FEDERAL PRISON

What a slime-ball.

[westerebus]

14. Tar and feathers is a time honored tradition.

Bob and the boys are all about tradition. Ain't that right cooch?

[Cha]

15. Wow! goppers make it so easy sometimes with their

penchant for greed. They walk right in and trap themselves.

Thankfully, the McDonnell's got busted!

[burnodo]

16. If McDonnel resigns, will anybody know?

Will the MSM report it as the huge scandal that it is? Or will they make it a page 3 blurb?

[hrmjustin]

23. It won't be covered that much because of the Zimmerman Trial but in Oct. and Nov. it will be back.

[forestpath]

40. It's been covered extensively by the Washington Post.

[hrmjustin]

50. Yes Local news will cover it and that is good. Since the Zimmerman trial may end sooner than I

thought, it might get the coverage if he resigns next week or after.

[Mr.Bill]

30. Everybody that watches Rachel Maddow will know.

She will be absolutely giddy, and rightfully so. She's been on "Governor Ultrasound's" case for awhile.

Don't mess with Rachel.

[Sheepshank]

45. clearly he lived in a glass house

and threw out that first stone. The volly in return should have been expected. Except perhaps, from a self righteous idiot who thought he were beyond review. Sounds like Palin...no?

[Liberal_in_LA]

18. excellent

[Iliyah]

19. Who takes over if he resigns?

Another crazy right winger?

[starroute]

24. It would be this guy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Bolling

In early 2008, Bolling and then-Attorney General McDonnell struck a deal in which Bolling agreed to run for re-election as Lieutenant Governor to allow McDonnell to run unopposed for Governor in 2009, in exchange for McDonnell's support for Bolling for Governor in 2013.[8] The deal was widely known and as such, Bolling was effectively running for Governor since 2009,[9] and in April 2010, Bolling filed the necessary paperwork to run in 2013.[10] Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, elected alongside McDonnell and Bolling in 2009, stated that he intended to run for re-election as attorney general in 2013, but did not rule out running for Governor.[11] In December 2011, Cuccinelli announced to his staff that he would run against Bolling for governor in 2013; the news went public, and in response, Bolling issued a statement accusing Cuccinelli of putting "his own personal ambition ahead of the best interests of the commonwealth and the Republican Party."[12] Cuccinelli's announcement came two days before the annual statewide conference of Virginia Republicans, at which Bolling and his staff expressed being upset with Cuccinelli's decision.[13]

In 2012, Bolling was the Virginia state Chairman of Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign,[14] a position he hoped to use to curry favor from a potential Romney administration and increase his own name recognition among state Republicans.[8] Through the second quarter of 2012, Bolling had a significant edge in fundraising over Cuccinelli.[15] However, Cuccinelli had a wide lead in early polling - a June 2012 poll of Virginia Republicans showed 51% supported Cuccinelli for governor compared to just 15% for Bolling.[16] Further diminishing Bolling's hopes was a June 2012 decision by the Republican Party of Virginia's State Central Committee to determine the nominee for Governor at a statewide convention of Republicans rather than an open primary - conservatives overwhelmingly backed Cuccinelli while more moderates backed Bolling, and conservatives tend to dominate conventions.[17][18]

On November 28, 2012, Bolling announced that he was suspending his campaign. He said that "the decision to change the method of nomination from a primary to a convention created too many obstacles for us to overcome", and that he didn't want to "create deep divisions within our party."[19] He refused to endorse Cuccinelli, saying, "I have serious reservations about his ability to effectively and responsibly lead our state."[20] After leaving the race for Governor of Virginia, Bolling continued to comment on the race and the policy proposals of both Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe and Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli. McAuliffe has informally offered Republican Lieutenant Governor a position in his administration, if his bid for Governor is successful.

[starroute]

25. It certainly makes the gubernatorial election more interesting

If the incumbent Republican governor is somebody with a grudge against Cuccinelli and a friendly relationship with McAuliffe ... that gets kind of fascinating. I can hardly wait to hear Rachel Maddow's take on the situation.

[ReRe]

21. When this goes down...

.... I call for a street dance down on DU Main Street. I'll bring the dip and chips and a case of cheap beer. Thanks for the update, kpete.

[sofa king]

27. To add insult to injury:

The Governor's son was picked up for public intoxication the other night (the name of the charge in VA is "public swearing or intoxication," but it does not mean that the kid was charged with swearing in public).

http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/latest-news/governor-s-son-arrested-charged-with-intoxication-swearing/article_7c178b8a-e8d4-11e2-8714-001a4bcf6878.html

A little birdie told me that the cops walked straight up to Sean McDonnell among a great many other intoxicated people on the street and pinched him alone, which might suggest that the incident is part of an effort to... incentivize... the Governor's swift departure.

Another odd twist is that while Virginia enforces a non-consecutive term limit on its governors, the Lieutentant Governor's office is not term limited. So the current occupant of the most useless public office in the Commonwealth, Bill Bolling, is actually a two-term Lieutenant Governor. If this year's governor's race is too close to call, Bolling will help ensure that it falls into Republican hands.

[atreides1]

77. I disagree on Bolling

The man hates Cooch with a passion...Bolling was the hand picked successor of McDonnell until Cooch and the Tea Baggers screwed him over!

I doubt he'll give anything to the Republicans, who basically pissed him away like he was nothing!

Bolling isn't a sure thing for the Tea Baggers if it's close.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

28. You don't get to resign. You must be IN OFFICE when you are arrested.

[ohheckyeah]

29. As a Virginian, I can't say

how glad I would be for both McDonnell and Cuccinelli to go down. Both are bat shit crazy, but Cuccinelli is the worst of the two.

[Vinnie From Indy]

32. It is NOT "Giftgate" !!!! It is "BLINGHAZI"!!!

MSNBC could have a great deal of fun poking FOX News in the eye if they would start calling this scandal 'Blinghazi".

Cheers!

[malaise]

34. That's brilliant

DUzy

[FSogol]

35. +1 n/t

[DCBob]

36. LOL!!

perfect!

[fredamae]

37. I Like the way your

Brain Works!
"Blinghazi" is so perfect.....

[Blackford]

38. I wish I could rec a post.

This is brilliant.

[adieu]

57. Terrific!

Even better than my Giftghazi.

[msanthrope]

62. DUZY!!!!

[Berlum]

65. DUzy - Blinghazi is brilliant

k and r

[WCLinolVir]

33. Could not happen to a nicer pair of disingenuous douches.

yeah!!!!

[Solly Mack]

41. K&R

[Le Taz Hot]

46. This pisses me off so bad!

" McDonnell is attempting to negotiate his resignation in exchange for no prosecution of Virginia's first couple."

Step down from your job and no prosecution? Tell me, who else would get to do that? NOBODY but the 1%. This is such bullshit.1

[sulphurdunn]

47. Why is it that all the darling,

up and comers of the Republican Party with presidential aspirations turn out to be cheap grifters?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

51. "Nuts!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_McAuliffe

No negotiation. I need time to prepare the tar and feathers.

[The River]

53. I Just Left Virginia

after 40+ years. It's a physically beautiful state but Virginia has been on the wrong side of history so many times that I just couldn't stay. (think Civil War, VA vs Loving, "mass resistance" to school desegregation, voter suppression, women's reproductive rights, etc) They may vote "purple" from time to time but deep down it will always be a repressively backward "red" state. FUVA.

[adieu]

56. Giftghazi

has a better ring to it. And will force the GOP to own the -ghazi tramp stamp.

[eppur_se_muova]

58. Wait ... you mean his career might be ended by a criminal *probe* ?

Oh, the irony ....

[Mr. David]

59. Wow. I would like to see BOTH McDonnell and Cuccilini resign.

Since Cucinelli's got his hands on the same pockets as McDonnell.

Who would be Governor if both are not eligible?

[ohheckyeah]

63. Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

Bill Bollling - another Republican, of course.

[rhett o rick]

60. How does one negotiate out of being charged with a felony? nm

[firenewt]

66. Money, money, more money and some additional money.

[rhett o rick]

69. Why didnt i think of that? nm

[msanthrope]

64. Please let this take out Cuccinelli!!!! And Eric Cantor. nt

[carolinayellowdog]

67. Governor Bolling has been invited to serve in the McAuliffe administration

according to this May story from the Washington Examiner:

Bolling was the frontrunner for the Republican nomination until Cuccinelli decided to enter the race. Sensing a defeat, Bolling withdrew his name from the GOP field and instead toyed with the idea of running as an independent. He officially ended all talk of a gubernatorial bid in March.

Since exiting the race, Bolling has not remained quiet, weighing in on a number of policy decisions that at times have gone against his own party, including backing an expansion of Medicaid in the state under President Obama's healthcare reforms. Bolling also frequently portrayed Cuccinelli as being out of the mainstream and he has refused to endorse his one-time rival.

Bolling has been much cozier with McAuliffe, who has informally offered the Republican a position in his administration. But on Tuesday, Bolling was taking aim at both candidates.

"Responsible governance requires that these tax cut proposals be part of a more comprehensive package," Bolling said, "that also considers the impact they will have on important programs like education, transportation and health care, just to name a few."

[KamaAina]

68. He's not "Governor Bolling" yet

I like your way of thinking, though.

[carolinayellowdog]

75. more Virginian-sounding than Cuccinelli; If he's a Red Bolling he might be a Pocahontas descendant

This one was born in West Virginia, but before 1863 they were all the Virginia Bollings/Bowlings/Bolens etc. too

[marions ghost]

70. My home state deserves better

[carolinayellowdog]

71. we owe a lot to the sordid revelations of a chef

The Governor's Mansion deserves better too

[marions ghost]

72. oh yeah

to that chef

--wasn't it the bartender looking out for us--down at that takers dinner in FL (the 47% comment)?

[floriduck]

73. That's crap!

If you or I committed felonies and offered to quit our jobs so that we could walk away, we'd first be handcuffed, then laughed at. I say the DOJ ties McDonnell to Cuccinelli and let's them squirm until the McAuliffe wins the election. Then haul them both away in chains.

[chuckstevens]

74. Anally Probe Him!

Hey, he might be hiding stuff anywhere!