Did Hamilton's Opponent Buy Steve Shannon's call for Resignation?
Robin Abbott is Phil Hamilton's Democrat opponent in Virginia's 93rd House District race. On August 24, 2009, Steve Shannon (D), nominee for Attorney General called for Phil Hamilton to resign, which would pave the way for Abbott's unopposed election. Abbott's law firm is Consumer Litigation Associates , whose address she lists as her official address on campaign reports.. According to records published by the Virginia Public Access Project, Consumer Litigation Associates made a contribution of $10,000 to Shannon's campaign on March 19, 2009. (The firm is the largest contributor to Abbott's campaign, $75,833 through 8/31) Just seven days after Shannon assisted Abbott in calling for Hamilton's resignation, Consumer Litigation Associates contributed another $40,000 to Shannon's campaign. Consumer Litigation Associates' $50,000 in contributions makes the firm the largest single contributor to his campaign after the Democratic Attorney Generals Association.
Did Robin Abbott simply buy Shannon's opposition to Hamilton for $50,000? Can Virginia afford an Attorney General so easy to buy. Can the citizens of the 93rd House District afford a delegate willing to bribe others to promote her candidacy?
(Accompanying photo of Shannon, 95th District Delegate Mamye BaCote, Abbott and Charlie Stanton (of Senator Webb's Hampton Roads office and Chairman, Newport News City Democratic Committee)from Abbott's public website.
2 comments:
First, all Virginians must demand an end to corporate political contributions.
Second, we must go further and limit contributions to the federal caps, and also restrict contributions to citizens whose PRIMARY residence is within the respective district.
As to buying endorsements: How dare you SUGGEST Abbott bought Shannon's support, based merely on facts!
Unfortunately, under current Viginia campaign law, corporate entities are free to corrupt any candidate that they want.
Abbott's firm could buy all the support she can afford, and in Virginia, as long as there is no specific promise of performance of services, such as, let's say, vote for a teaching center, but later you could get hired by that same center, without actually working a single day there, then under Virginia's current laws, it's all OK.
Both Republicans and Democrats need to be grilled during this election season to discover which candidates will support the campaign finance reform that I outlined above. Corporate contributions must go and only citizens who live in a particular District, should be able to donate to candidates from that District.
JTB,
Do you feel it is right for corporate entities to corrupt any candidate they want? Facts are facts, and if Shannon received donations from Abbott's law firm to call for the resignation of Hamilton, then these facts have every right to be exposed.
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