Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
The state attorney general’s office has grown dramatically under Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who is campaigning for governor with a call to get government off the backs of the public. Much of the gain has come from federal dollars to combat Medicaid fraud. The office plans to spend $42.7 million this year, up nearly 25 percent from $34.3 million the year Cuccinelli took office, state budget documents show. That outpaces the
McDonnell denies talking to Star CEO Williams about taxes
Gov. Bob McDonnell says he and a businessman who gave him and his family more than $160,000 in gifts never discussed the state tax problems of the businessman’s company. “Absolutely never,” McDonnell said Friday, during a visit to Salem to announce a series of grants to school boards for a new teacher incentive pay program. Star Scientific has been battling a state tax bill since 2002, and the total at
McDonnell offered state medical board post to doctor who lent $50,000
RICHMOND — A Virginia Beach radiologist who loaned $50,000 to a real estate company owned by Gov. Bob McDonnell and his sister was subsequently offered an appointment to a state medical board, but he turned it down. Paul Davis told The Washington Post he has been friends with McDonnell for more than a decade. He said he believes the appointment offer was unrelated to the loan he gave MoBo Real
Governor juggles his assets to repay Star CEO
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has refinanced his private residence and restructured loans on other properties as he repays a businessman and donor who showered him and his family with gifts. Court and government records reveal real estate transactions that could free up cash while McDonnell and his family return gifts and loans totaling more than $150,000 to Jonnie R. Williams Sr. Williams is the CEO of an
Out of state donations pour into Virginia race for governor
RICHMOND — Virginia’s gubernatorial contest, one of only two in the country in 2013, is capturing national attention — and increasingly, national money. The Republican Governors Association recently made another significant contribution to GOP Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s campaign, while a California-based billionaire’s political operation will help support Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic nominee for governor. Though New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie faces re-election this year, the contest is not considered
Bob McDonnell to begin statewide tour in Salem, Roanoke
Gov. Bob McDonnell is kicking off a weeklong, statewide tour in Salem and Roanoke today to highlight the state's progress under his administration. McDonnell plans to highlight his transportation funding compromise, which includes a plan to bring Amtrak passenger train service to Roanoke, as well as statewide declines in unemployment, new open space conservation agreements, record farm exports and education reforms. "Over the past three and a half years, through
ABC got gifts from alcohol industry
CHARLOTTESVILLE — State Alcohol Beverage Control employees received more than $50,000 in gifts and entertainment from the alcohol industry from 2008 to 2011, including tickets to NASCAR races and Washington Redskins football games, a newspaper review found. While the majority of the gifts were for travel to national conferences, at least one lawmaker is questioning whether agency officials should take gifts from the industry. The debate comes as lawmakers look
Bill Bolling proposes changes to ethics laws
Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling on Tuesday proposed sweeping changes to the state’s ethics laws, including a $250 limit on gifts, while disagreement lingered over whether the governor should call state lawmakers into a special session to tackle reforms. Republican leaders in the House of Delegates said Tuesday that they want to take up disclosure reform during the regularly scheduled legislative session in January and not in a special session, as
Virginia gubernatorial candidates discuss Medicaid
RICHMOND — Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli plans “very, very significant” changes for the state agency that administers Virginia’s Medicaid program, while Democrat Terry McAuliffe said expanding the program as prescribed by the Affordable Care Act is critical to funding the unmet needs of the commonwealth’s mentally ill. Whether to cut and reallocate the Medicaid program’s current funding or accept more federal dollars and expand it framed the greatest difference
Cuccinelli calls for special session on ethics
Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican nominee for governor, is pressing Gov. Bob McDonnell to call a special legislative session on ethics, but McDonnell wants to wait until January. Cuccinelli has accepted $18,000 in gifts from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams , whose relationship with McDonnell is the focus of state and federal investigations. “Trust is something that is easy to lose and hard to earn back,” Cuccinelli said in a statement
Jackson won't apologize for labeling Democratic Party the 'anti-God party'
E.W. Jackson, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, is refusing calls from Democrats to apologize for repeated comments suggesting that the Democratic Party is the "anti-God party." In a radio interview with WLEE in Richmond on Thursday, Jackson was asked if he still believes one cannot be a Democrat and believe in God at the same time. "I believe that the Democratic Party has become the anti-God party, I think
Lieutenant governor candidate: ‘We have to hold ourselves to a higher standard'
Ethics reform and new gift disclosure laws will not stop politicians from accepting undisclosed amounts of money and gifts from donors, E.W. Jackson, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, said in a radio interview Tuesday. "I think that we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard, rather than always simply looking for ways to change the law to make people do what they already know is right," Jackson said
Virginia attorney general candidate questions investment by VRS
The Democratic candidate for attorney general is calling on the state’s watchdog agency to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Virginia Retirement System’s investment in Star Scientific stock last year. “The fact that our state’s pension fund would decide to invest in Star Scientific, a company that has suffered tens of millions of dollars in losses over the past decade, raises the possibility of serious flaws in the processes by which
Federal lawsuit challenges Virginia gay marriage ban
A federal class-action lawsuit filed Thursday challenges Virginia laws barring same-sex marriage and the refusal to recognize such marriages legally performed elsewhere. The suit was filed on behalf of Joanne Harris and Jessica Duff of Staunton and Christy Berghoff and Victoria Kidd of Winchester and seeks to represent all same-sex couples in Virginia who wish to marry here or who have married in other states. Filed in Harrisonburg by
McDonnell says daughter returned $15,000 wedding gift to Star CEO
Gov. Bob McDonnell said Wednesday that one of his daughters has repaid the $15,000 at the center of the family's gift scandal. Also Wednesday, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said he has no plans to repay the more than $18,000 in gifts he received from the same benefactor, Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams. Gifts from Williams that Cuccinelli lists in his financial disclosure statements include a $1,500 catered Thanksgiving dinner, private
Former Sen. Harry F. Byrd Jr. dies at 98
Former U.S. Sen. Harry F. Byrd Jr., whose historic decision to become an independent in 1970 would decide political power in Virginia for nearly two decades, died Tuesday at his home in his native Winchester. He was 98. Byrd, a former defender of racial segregation and stubborn advocate of discipline in the public’s finances, died about 9:20 a.m., surrounded by his two sons and daughter and many of his nine
McDonnell says he'll return remaining gifts from donor
Gov. Bob McDonnell says he intends to return gifts still in his possession from a wealthy donor, his latest move to try to restore trust with Virginians amid a gift scandal plaguing his final months in office. Having repaid $120,000 in loans, with interest, to Jonnie Williams , CEO of Henrico County-based Star Scientific, McDonnell said he will now give back gifts. Citing “concerns that have been raised by members
Law firm in McDonnell case bills the state $53,530
RICHMOND -- The bill to Virginia taxpayers for the private law firm that took over a review in April of Gov. Bob McDonnell's gifts from a political donor and businessman is up to $53,530 and climbing. The firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott sent two invoices in June to the Republican governor's office for the review led by former Attorney General Anthony Troy, a Democrat. For more than three
Virginia authorities investigate threats to Cuccinelli
RICHMOND — State and local authorities are investigating threatening emails sent to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Search warrants obtained by NBC4 Washington on Thursday reveal the sender of the emails threatened the Republican candidate for governor and his family. The email was sent through Cuccinelli’s campaign website. The campaign reported it to Virginia State Police. One message filled with profanity and misspellings ends by warning Cuccinelli not to seek federal
Gov. Bob McDonnell visits with troops in Middle East
RICHMOND — In the midst of a covert Middle East trip to visit American troops, Gov. Bob McDonnell isn't discussing gifts from a major political donor and personal benefactor. The Republican governor spoke with The Associated Press by telephone Wednesday from Kabul, Afghanistan, and said there will be time after he returns to discuss thousands of dollars' worth of gifts from Jonnie R. Williams, the chief executive of Star Scientific,
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
6. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
7. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
8. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
9. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible
10. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area
THE ROANOKE TIMES
