So…you know how Ken Cuccinelli has been constantly citing a “gag order” as an excuse not to discuss his office’s total mishandling of the Star Scientific and Governor’s mansion scandals? For instance, see Virginia governor’s ex-chef seeks subpoena of attorney general, in which “{b}oth Brian Gottstein, spokesman for the attorney general, and Christopher J. LaCivita, Cuccinelli’s chief political strategist, said their organizations could not comment on the motion {filed in Richmond Circuit Court on Friday seeks a judge’s permission to issue subpoenas to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and one of his top lieutenants, Patrick Dorgan] because of a gag order imposed on the case by Circuit Judge Margaret Spencer.” Or see Cuccinelli fights bid to compel testimony, which talks about how “Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and one of his senior assistants are fighting an attempt to issue them subpoenas to testify in the embezzlement case of former Executive Mansion chef Todd Schneider…{Judge} Spencer has imposed a gag order on discussion of the case by the prosecution and defense.” On and on it goes, with Team Cuccinelli constantly citing this “gag order” as an excuse not to comment on any of this stuff. Except…
…Yesterday, Cuccinelli appeared on WRVA’s Jimmy Barrett show. At around 5:17 or so, the discussion turns to the case of Governor’s Mansion chef Todd Schneider. Note that Cuccinelli does NOT cite any “gag order” here. Instead, we get a detailed analysis Cuccinelli about the ins and outs of the Governor’s Mansion/chef/embezzlement case. Which is all well and good, except what happened to the “gag order” in the case, the one Cuccinelli and Company references over and over again (“We also reached out to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s office, who declined to comment due to the gag order“) when he doesn’t feel like talking about the case?!? Fascinating, huh?
In sum, Ken Cuccinelli apparently believes he can have it both ways: 1) cite Judge Spencer’s “gag order” whenever he doesn’t want to talk about the Governor’s Mansion/chef corruption scandal; and 2) do NOT cite the “gag order” and chat away about whatever he feels like. So, here’s the question for all the lawyers out there: did Cuccinelli violate Judge Spencer’s “gag order” on WRVA yesterday or not? If not, why not?
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