After Weeks of Hiding on Star Scientific, Cuccinelli Releases Sideshow

Richmond, VA — For weeks since news broke about his shady conflict of interest with drug and tobacco company Star Scientific, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has refused to answer basic questions about his involvement with the company and why his office sat on a million dollar tax lawsuit against them. He has also not fully explained why he failed to comply with state law and disclose the stock he held in the company.

Now Cuccinelli is attempting to distract from the issue by pledging to release information that has nothing to do with the unanswered questions around why he didn't recuse himself in the Star case and why he bought even more stock after they filed suit.

If Ken Cuccinelli wants Virginians to believe he has even a shred of commitment to transparency and accountability, he should stop trying to distract from his shady conflict of interest and publicly release:

• Any correspondence (including personal emails) he and members of his staff had with Jonnie Williams, the close friend of Cuccinelli's who also happens to be the CEO of Star Scientific, the company Cuccinelli was supposed to be defending the Commonwealth against in a lawsuit over unpaid taxes.   

• Records of any correspondence, meetings or conversations between Cuccinelli and the staff in his office handling the tax lawsuit against Star Scientific, a case in which Cuccinelli had a personal and financial stake.   

• Records detailing the extent to which Cuccinelli was made aware of his friend's lawsuit after he filed it, before Cuccinelli proceeded to buy more stock in the company. 

• Records of any meetings or conversations around Cuccinelli's opinion overturning Virginia's ban on e-cigarettes in bars and restaurants, which he released shortly before his friend Jonnie Williams filed for a patent to produce e-cigarettes. 

“Despite his efforts, Ken Cuccinelli will not distract Virginians from the many unanswered questions surrounding his shady personal and financial relationship with a company that sued Virginia to avoid paying taxes,” said DPVA spokesman Brian Coy. “It's time for Cuccinelli to stop hiding from the public and answer real questions about whether or not he used his state office to benefit himself and his friends financially.”