Virginia Republicans’ One-Two Punch of Financial Scandals Coming up on a pivotal governor’s election, two of the state party’s leading figures are fending off questions about their ties to a corporation under fire.
Just as Virginia Republicans gear up for November’s gubernatorial election—their first real opportunity to make up ground in the state after a brutal presidential year—the party has been hit with a one-two punch of potential scandals.
Over the weekend, The Washington Post published a pair of stories revealing questionable relationships between Star Scientific, a dietary and tobacco supplement company, and both outgoing Gov. Bob McDonnell and the presumed Republican nominee to succeed him, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.
Cuccinelli, the Post reported, did not disclose for nearly a year that he held over $10,000 of stock holdings in Star Scientific. This revelation is significant for two reasons. First, elected officials are required by law to disclose financial interests worth more than $10,000. According to Cuccinelli’s representatives, the omission was an oversight due to the fact that the value of the shares had dipped below the $10,000 threshold at the time 2010 disclosures were due. The attorney general’s filings were amended to reflect his interest in the company once he realized his holdings had grown to be worth much more.
Nice to see the extremist right-wing Cuccinelli showing that fine "above reproach" standard GOTP background. I'm sure it was just an "omission"... :rofllol
