Governor Terry McAuliffe. Photo courtesy of CSGV.
Summary: Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe is now facing a probe from the FBI and the Justice Department.
The FBI and the Justice Department are looking into the integrity of Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat. Officials say they want to determine whether or not donations to his gubernatorial campaign violated the law.
- To learn more about other election law no-nos, read this article: Hillary Worker Violates Election Law with Trump Meme
According to officials, McAuliffe was not notified that he is a probe target. However, Marc Elias, an attorney for the governor’s campaign, told CNN that Governor McAuliffe will be cooperate once he is contacted.
McAuliffe was a board member of the Clinton Global Initiation, a charity set up by former President Bill Clinton. Investigators said they will probe his time there, although there are no allegations that the foundation has done anything improper.
In a press conference today, McAuliffe said he was “shocked” by the news. He said that he believes the investigation stems from a man who gave a check to his campaign.
The donation McAuliffe referred to was a check of $120,000 from a Chinese businessman named Wang Wenliang. The check was given through his U.S. businesses. Wang was previously a politician with China’s National People’s Congress. Elias contends that Wang’s contribution was lawful, even though U.S. election law prohibits foreign nationals from donating to elections at every level. Penalties include fines and/or time in prison.
Wang has also donated millions to the Clinton foundation. A spokeswoman said that he holds U.S. permanent resident status, which would make him a U.S. person under the law.
CNN stated that McAuliffe is the second Virginia official to be investigated for these charges. In 2014, Bob McDonnell was convicted for corruption for receiving $175,000 worth of gifts from a donor. The Supreme Court is reviewing his appeal.
- To learn more about Governmor Bob McDonnell, read this article: Former Virginia Governor’s Corruption Trial Resumes
Officials in the McAuliffe case say the investigation is ongoing.
With the two sides presented, do you think McAuliffe was on the right side of the law? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: CNN