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Senator McEachin Submits FOIA Request on Cuccinelli Ties to Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams

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From the DPVA:

Senator Donald McEachin is submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to the Office of the Attorney General today asking for all information provided to the Cuccinelli for Governor campaign about the Attorney General’s involvement in matters related to Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams.  

The Office of the Attorney General shared information with the Cuccinelli campaign which, in turn, released  some of that information to the Washington Post.  Senator McEachin is requesting that all Virginians be offered the same level of access as Cuccinelli’s campaign, a non-governmental political organization.

The FOIA specifically asks for: 

1.  All communications between any member of the Office of the Attorney General and Jonnie Williams.

2.  All internal and external communications to which the Office of the Attorney General was a party regarding the Office’s potential conflict of interest in the Commonwealth’s case against Todd Schneider for embezzlement at the Executive Mansion.

3.  All internal and external communications to which any member of the Office of the Attorney General was a party regarding the allegations against Governor McDonnell made byTodd Schneider.

4.  All internal and external communications to which any member of the Office of the Attorney General was a party related to any "walling off" of the Attorney General in the Commonwealth’s case against Todd Schneider for embezzlement at the Executive Mansion. 

5.  All internal and external communications to which any member of the Office of the Attorney General was a party regarding the Attorney General's financial disclosures.

6.  All information concerning any fees charged by the Office of the Attorney General or paid by anyone for the preparation of the “Inquiry on Star Scientific” Memorandum dated June 27, 2013 from the Cuccinelli for Governor Campaign. 

7.  All internal and external communications to which any member of the Office of the Attorney General was a party regarding the “Inquiry on Star Scientific” Memorandum dated June 27, 2013 from the Cuccinelli for Governor Campaign. 

8. All Freedom of Information Act requests received by the Office of the Attorney General seeking information or documents related in any way to the Commonwealth's case against Todd Schneider for embezzlement at the Executive Mansion, and the response provided by the Office of the Attorney General.

 

The full FOIA request can be found below:

 

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli

Office of the Attorney General

900 E. Broad St.

Richmond, VA 23219

 

Dear General Cuccinelli:

 

Your office recently released to your campaign a document, entitled “Inquiry on Star Scientific," dated June 27, 2013.  Since you have shared information related to the claims made within that document with a non-governmental third party, your gubernatorial campaign, it is clear that your office does not consider anything related to those matters discussed in the memorandum to be privileged.  In any event, having released the information, any previous claim to privilege has been waived.

 

Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act follows Virginia’s tradition of an open and accessible government, and the public is legally entitled access to any information your office can release to third parties, and such documentation as would support that release.  At this point much of what I'm asking will have already been compiled by your office for your campaign for Governor, so fulfilling this request should be easy.

 

Your office has provided your campaign, a non-governmental organization, with information not currently available to the taxpayers who paid for your work.  The Freedom of Information Act is designed to ensure that Virginia’s taxpayers know how every elected official, including the Attorney General, is spending our tax dollars.  Pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, §2.2.3704(G) et seq., and as a Virginia resident, I therefore request copies of records of the following items:

 

1.  All communications between any member of the Office of the Attorney General and Jonnie Williams.

 

2.  All internal and external communications to which the Office of the Attorney General was a party regarding the Office’s potential conflict of interest in the Commonwealth’s case against Todd Schneider for embezzlement at the Executive Mansion.

 

3.  All internal and external communications to which any member of the Office of the Attorney General was a party regarding the allegations against Governor McDonnell made byTodd Schneider.

 

4.  All internal and external communications to which any member of the Office of the Attorney General was a party related to any "walling off" of the Attorney General in the Commonwealth’s case against Todd Schneider for embezzlement at the Executive Mansion. 

 

5.  All internal and external communications to which any member of the Office of the Attorney General was a party regarding the Attorney General's financial disclosures.

 

6.  All information concerning any fees charged by the Office of the Attorney General or paid by anyone for the preparation of the “Inquiry on Star Scientific” Memorandum dated June 27, 2013 from the Cuccinelli for Governor Campaign.

 

7.  All internal and external communications to which any member of the Office of the Attorney General was a party regarding the “Inquiry on Star Scientific” Memorandum dated June 27, 2013 from the Cuccinelli for Governor Campaign.

 

8. All Freedom of Information Act requests received by the Office of the Attorney General seeking information or documents related in any way to the Commonwealth's case against Todd Schneider for embezzlement at the Executive Mansion, and the response provided by the Office of the Attorney General.

 

Per §2.2.3704(G) of the Virginia Code, please send the requested records to me electronically at dmceachin@mceachingee.com.  Many of these documents were, presumably, already prepared for your campaign, therefore I request that any fees associated with preparation of those documents be waived.

 

Sincerely,


A. Donald McEachin

 

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