Officials in Richmond’s office of Planning and Development Review
refused to provide access to copies of certificates of occupancy for two city elementary schools Wednesday after the person requesting the public records identified himself as a member of the media. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter was handed a written records request form and told it would take five to seven days to comply with the request. When pressed for quicker service, the employee directed the reporter to a department employee named Isaac Marks, who was identified as the only person in the office capable of handling Freedom of Information Act requests. Marks, an office support specialist, said his office handles such requests for citizens only and that members of the media had to go through the office of the press secretary. When the reporter identified himself as a city resident, Marks said it didn’t matter.
Times-Dispatch
Former Gov. Bob McDonnell says the federal prosecutors, acting like the tyrannical Roman Emperor Caligula, are trying to convict him for something every politician does. Now, the feds have fired back. It's an unusually early crossing of the swords (and includes the legal version of: "Bring it on, punk") in which they tell a federal court they have the law on their side — and that McDonnell's earlier brief is just posturing for the public.The issue is what an official act is. The federal law McDonnell and his wife Maureen are accused of violating says it is against the law for public officials to obtain payments they are not entitled to, knowing that the payment was made in return for official acts. The official doesn't actually have to do anything, under that law.
Daily Press
The Virginia legislature years ago banned governors from donating excess inauguration funds to political causes, but that hasn’t stopped Gov. Terry McAuliffe from finding a way to route $211,000 from his inaugural fund back to his election campaign and the Virginia Democratic Party, disclosure records show. Mr. McAuliffe’s aides say the two $78,000 checks his inaugural committee sent to his campaign committee along with a $55,000 check to the state Democratic Party were expenditures for the rental of email lists. But campaign finance analysts told The Washington Times that the costs of the email rentals appeared to be exorbitant, and critics suggest the transactions look like an end run around the state prohibition.
Washington Times
The Virginia Senate on Wednesday delayed action on an omnibus ethics bill, as Senate Republicans retreated on an amendment to the legislation that would have prohibited the immediate family of sitting lawmakers to be considered for election or appointment as judges. The development came as Gov. Terry McAuliffe said he did not object to the immediate family of sitting lawmakers being considered for jobs on the bench.
Times-Dispatch
You could weigh in, under a bill passed by the state Senate Wednesday that calls for a referendum on whether Virginia should establish a bipartisan redistricting commission to redraw districts. Redistricting—which happens after every census, to make sure each House, Senate and congressional district has relatively the same number of people in it—has always been done in Virginia by legislators themselves. The result is often broad gerrymandering, with the party in power drawing districts in ways to best protect its incumbents. Both Republicans and Democrats do it, drawing districts to benefit themselves. The party out of power is usually the one calling for redistricting to be put into non-partisan hands. But when in power, neither side is usually willing to give up control of district-drawing. The bill from Sen. John Miller, D–Newport News, doesn’t require the state to listen to what voters say in a referendum on bipartisan redistricting. The bill says the results “shall be advisory only.” It just requires the question to be asked.
Free Lance-Star