It’s a fine line between hubris and stupidity. MOST STATES have limits on what elected officials can receive from lobbyists. Since 2000, Kansas has a set limit of $40 — with exceptions that include “hospitality in the form of recreation, food and beverages.” So enjoying a corporation’s suite at the Kansas Speedway is somehow OK.
Excessive pride can make you do stupid things.
Such is the case with Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, who were found guilty Thursday of accepting gifts in return for their positions of power as the governor and first lady of Virginia from 2010 to 2014.
Johnnie Williams, a manufacturer of a now-banned dietary supplement, showered the couple with more than $170,000 in gifts and loans. In return, the McDonnells pushed his product.
The office of governor comes with privileges few of us can imagine, including access to heads of industry. It was no accident Williams was a frequent guest, including when the governor hosted members of the health care industry.
Those with good ethics use such privilege to effect change for the greater good, not personal friendships.
The gifts showered upon the McDonnells included a $20,000 shopping spree for Maureen, picking up the $15,000 catering tab for their daughter’s wedding, a Rolex watch, a customized golf bag, and several loans to keep the high-flying couple afloat.
The McDonnells were in the habit of living beyond their means — making them vulnerable to saying yes to Williams’ largess.
During the six-week trial Gov. McDonnell professed he was not under the impression Williams expected anything in return. No quid pro quo, in other words.
In addition to accepting gifts and loans, the first family owed $31,000 in credit card debt, and was saddled with two beach homes that turned out to be bad investments. Bankers kept them at arm’s length when they sought conventional loans.
Hardly the profile of success.
And it makes you wonder how good of a governor McDonnell was when his own house was in such disarray.
Well, not really.
By evidence of the trial, the state of Virginia came with a price tag.
When he took office on Jan. 11 of this year, Virginia’s new governor, Terry McAuliffe, signed an executive order limiting gifts to executive branch employees and their immediate family members.
Virginia legislators, however, were not so eager to cut the cord. Though they set a limit of $250 on individual gifts, it does not include “intangibles” such as transportation, lodging, meals, tickets and entertainment. You have to wonder what’s left to cover.
By nature, humans are fallible. That’s why we need laws to protect us from our baser instincts.
— Susan Lynn
Precipitous downfall for Va. power couple
