Disclosure forms show that lawmakers are taking far fewer gifts than they once did, before former Governor Bob McDonnell found himself in federal court defending gifts from a wealthy businessman.
It may not have the glitz and glamour of the Oscars. But the Arlington Chamber of Commerce gala landed two Democrats at the top of the gift disclosure list this year. Records from the Virginia Public Access Project show Senator Barbara Favola and Delegate Patrick Hope both list comp tickets to the gala as gifts.
Hope says he ended up at the top of the list because the chamber charges $250 a head.
"My option is not to attend, of course, or I could pay for myself. But I’ve always gone to the chamber dinners.”
Also at the top of the list is Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy, a Democrat from Prince William. Her forms show a gift of inaugural ball tickets from wealthy businessman Loren Hershey, who says he bought tickets for a handful of newly elected freshmen although Foy was the only one to disclose them. A spokesman for Foy says she did not actually have to report the inaugural ball tickets as a gift because Hershey is not a lobbyist. But she reported them in the interest of full disclosure.
Geoff Skelley at the UVA Center for Politics says lawmakers are erring on the side of disclosing everything.
“The risks of getting caught not reporting something is greater than showing up on a list showing that you accepted a certain amount in gifts.”
Lawmakers may have a newfound desire to disclose more. But they may also be taking less. The latest round of disclosures show more than 60 lawmakers reported zero so far this year.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
