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Kaine and Warner Call for Ethics Reform

With former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell heading to prison for two years, two former Virginia governors are calling for ethics reform in Richmond.  

When McDonnell was charged with corruption for accepting gifts, like a head turning Rolex watch, many political watchers in Richmond figured he would escape punishment. That’s because the state’s ethics laws are some of the weakest in the nation, according to watchdog groups.

But federal laws ultimately snagged McDonnell and his wife, Maureen – who accepted clothes from designers like Oscar de La Renta and Louis Vuitton. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who served as Virginia’s seventieth governor, says the General Assembly needs to act when they return this week.

“With this sentencing being done right before the start of the session, I just think it underlines and puts an exclamation point after, ‘you’ve got to do ethic reform.’ And what I’m hearing from Governor McAuliffe and legislators of both parties is this will spur them to do ethics reform that’s long overdue and I hope that that’s the case.”

The commonwealth’s 69th governor, Democratic Senator Mark Warner, agrees. While he says McDonnell’s sentencing brings some closure, he says further action is needed.

“I still think the Virginia way has meaning. And unfortunately there’ve been a series of incidents that have tarnished that image but my hope is that meaningful ethics reform will move forward.”

One proposal being pushed would put a one hundred dollar cap on all gifts state officials are allowed to accept.

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