‘Integrity’ Panel Has Opportunity to Check Governor’s Use of Fund

RICHMOND — When Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s Commission to Ensure Integrity and Public Confidence compiles its legislative agenda, the panel could start by revoking one of his vetoes and resurrecting an ethics bill related to his office.

The Governor’s Opportunity Fund has given $199.4 million to new or expanding companies since 1994. McAuliffe this year vetoed legislation that would curb personal or political contributions from recipients of the fund.

The Opportunity Fund disbursed more than $7.4 million to firms in fiscal 2014. That does not include $5 million McAuliffe pledged this month to help Richmond build a brewery on the James River for California-based Stone Brewing Co., or the $5 million he granted to China’s Shandong Tranlin Paper Co. for a mill downriver in Chesterfield County.

Only one other $5 million grant was recorded in the 20-year history of the Opportunity Fund.

This year’s General Assembly passed House Bill 1212 to prohibit the governor or any of his political committees from soliciting or accepting donations or gifts worth $50 or more from anyone seeking to tap the fund, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported in May. Despite the bill’s unanimous approval, McAuliffe’s veto was not overridden.

Another ethics bill — Rep. Scott Surovell’s “Conflict of Interests Act” — would have barred any business or contractual relationships between the governor and his appointees while serving in office. But  HB 245 died in the House Courts of Justice Committee last session.

Surovell, a Mount Vernon Democrat, says he is maxed out on the number of bills he can introduce next year. So the idea could be picked up by other lawmakers — or McAuliffe’s commission.

The integrity commission, headed by former Rep. Rick Boucher, a Democrat, and former Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican, is officially tasked with “recommending good government reforms, including meaningful rules for the ethical conduct of state officials, procedures for ensuring accountability to the electorate, and policies guiding the selection and service of high-quality public servants.”

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