WASHINGTON 鈥� Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell鈥檚 appeal will be heard next week 鈥� less than two weeks after Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed into law new gift and ethics rules for lawmakers.
McAuliffe says the new laws will go a long way toward cutting down on corruption.
鈥淲e have now signed the legislation, so all members of the General Assembly now have a $100 aggregate gift ban: They can鈥檛 take anything more than $100. That鈥檚 great for transparency; it鈥檚 great for folks doing business with the commonwealth,鈥� McAuliffe says.
The cap, which kicks in on Jan. 1, 2016, only applies to gifts from lobbyists and people or companies seeking state money or contracts. Gifts worth less than $20 do not count toward the total, and there are some exceptions for free travel as long as the travel is connected to specific official business.
The ethics bill does not change Virginia鈥檚 campaign finance rules, which allow contributions of cash or travel as long as the contributions are disclosed.
As part of the bill, disclosure forms will be filed and posted online, but the wrote that there are apparently a number of ways to dodge many of the requirements.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no loopholes; you take over $100, you鈥檒l pay a price for that,鈥� McAuliffe says. 鈥淭he $100 aggregate is for everybody. You can鈥檛 give a legislator, anybody, any more than $100, same as it applies to me.”
McAuliffe鈥檚 family and the executive branch have actually been following slightly tighter gift rules, under an executive order he issued just after taking office in the weeks before McDonnell and McDonnell鈥檚 wife, Maureen were indicted on corruption charges.
鈥淭here鈥檚 other things I wanted in [the bill]; you know, I wanted an independent ethics commission; I didn鈥檛 get everything I asked for. But clearly, the most important thing is to have the $100 aggregate,鈥� McAuliffe says.
The of trading the prestige of the governor鈥檚 office for more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from Jonnie Williams. They are now appealing their convictions.
鈥淲e鈥檝e come a long way in Virginia; we鈥檝e had some unfortunate instances here with elected officials, and this will go a long, long way to ending that,鈥� McAuliffe says.
McDonnell鈥檚 appeal will be argued before a
While the identities of the judges selected for the panel will be revealed Tuesday morning, Fourth Circuit procedures give some preference to judges who handled earlier motions in a case. An earlier panel granted McDonnell鈥檚 motion to stay out of prison while his appeal is heard, which McDonnell supporters see as a positive signal.
He was sentenced in January to two years in prison, while Maureen McDonnell was sentenced in February to one year and one day.
She is also out while her appeal is heard. Her .
Without weighing in on the outcome of the appeals, McAuliffe said he hopes Virginia does not have to go through another salacious six-week trial.
鈥淎ny time we鈥檙e not talking about how great Virginia is 鈥� every time we鈥檙e not putting our best foot forward, it鈥檚 not helpful as I compete on a global basis to bring jobs to the commonwealth,鈥� McAuliffe says.
