The Governor, His Wife, Their Cook, and the FBI
Source: The Atlantic
The Governor, His Wife, Their Cook, and the FBI
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The FBI is now investigating whether or not Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell violated any laws when he allowed a campaign donor to pay for catering at his daughter's wedding. That is perhaps the least weird part of the story.
The crux of the issue is whether or not McDonnell violated the law by allowing Star Scientific, a company run by Jonnie Williams, to pick up the $15,000 food and floral tab for Cailin McDonnell's wedding in 2011. The governor explains his failure to report the spending on his finance reports by insisting that the donation was a gift to his daughter. Under Virginia law, only gifts received by officeholders need to be reported. Earlier this month, the Washington Post walked through the evidence for and against that claim. The daughter paid for other parts of the wedding, for example, like the rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon. But McDonnell's guidance is literally written all over the agreement between the caterer and the family, which the governor signed.
“I have made a few reasonable changes to the contract which I hope you find acceptable,” McDonnell wrote in a handwritten note attached to the document. “Likely find headcount closer to 200-210 and will advise in advance. Thanks Bob McDonnell.”
The company that paid for the catering, Star Scientific, has quite a track record. The Post notes that it was once a tobacco company that then expanded into nutritional supplements, including a product called Anatabloc. In 2002, it received a grant from the state to expand a production facility. When it wasn't able to create the jobs it promised, it was forced to return money to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Yet, as the AP notes, the company maintained close ties to McDonnell.
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Read more: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/04/bob-mcdonnell-fbi/64713/