Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell to Return All the Gifts from Wealthy Benefactor Whose Business He and His Family Aided

The “I am not a Crook” Defense Goes Republican Again

Under intensive pressure for lapses in basic ethical behavior for a public official, Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell has said that he will return all the lavish gifts (money being a lavish gift too) that he has received from a wealthy patron.

Gov. McDonnell apparently choking his wife in return for either all the problems she has caused him or
for not sharing  with him all the money she got from doing favors for Virginia businesses.

“It’s my intention to return everything that I have received from this particular donor because of concerns that have been raised by members of the public, and to do everything I can to restore trust with the people of Virginia,” he said. “Those gifts that I have in my possession I am working with my counsel to be able to return.”

Of course Mr. McDonnell protests that this is just because he wanted to avoid the impropriety of wrong doing.  After all he has broken no laws he says (an FBI investigation may or may not conclude otherwise, Virginia’s ethics laws being so weak it is very hard to break them).

“Many questions have been asked, well, why didn’t I do X, Y and Z? Well because it’s not the law.”

And his wife, well she is just doing a wonderful job promoting Virginia businesses

He said that he didn’t ask for the gifts and swatted back at allegations that his wife, Maureen, did, dismissing “much of what I have read” on the subject as inaccurate. He also said that he didn’t unduly advocate for Star Scientific and argued that in general he promotes Virginia businesses, as does his wife.

And of course returning all the money and gifts makes everything alright, apparently.  And in that vein this Forum is happy to report the following.

Bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde said today they would return all of the money they stole from various banks.  “Nothing we did was against the law” the pair said, “but we just wanted to make sure everyone thought highly of us.  Now that the money is returned no crime was committed and we expect no prosecution for our robberies.”

Fraudulent financier Bernie Madoff said today that “Since the bankruptcy trustee will have recovered some of the money I confessed to taking from investors, that will make everything ok and I should be released from jail.”

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagogevich said today that “I will return any money I got in payment for appointing people to a Senate seat, even though nothing was illegal.  That should clear my name and allow me to return as Gov. of Illinois where in spite of my conviction I would still be considered one of the more ethical Governors the state has had, at least compared to a bunch of other ones.”