Nice to know the Virginian-Pilot was led by someone with such high ethical standards that he’s already under investigation for breaking the law.
No one was surprised when Maurice Jones went from publisher of the non-partisan, non-biased, always fair and honest about Republicans, newspaper of choice (1 out of 1) in South Hampton Roads The Virginian-Pilot, to a political appointee for Barack Obama at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Of course. Publishing a newspaper gives one such relevant experience with Housing – NOT! Heck, the paperboy has more housing experience than Jones had, but Jones worked for Mark Warner in Social Services. Given what reporters are paid at the Pilot, at least that seemed like a relevant correlation.
Now, Governor Terry McAuliffe, the fountain of ethics, virtue and all that is right and clean in the ol’ Commonwealth, has nominated him for Commerce and Trade for God knows what reason – maybe he wants companies to fire as many people as the Pilot has over the years with sinking revenues and falling subscriptions.
But it seems Maurice had a few ethical lapses of his own.
“A months-long investigation by the HUD’s office of inspector general concluded that Mr. Jones and four others at HUD appear to have violated anti-lobbying laws, which restrict the use of funds for publicity or propaganda directed at pending legislation before Congress. The probe also concluded that Mr. Jones violated internal HUD policy on lobbying by federal employees.” (Washington Times)
An ex-Pilot publisher accused of propaganda? Perish the thought!
However, the Pilot now has a problem. Having shown their backside rather broadly in demanding last summer that Governor McDonnell resign because of ethical allegations, they are obligated to call on their former publisher to withdraw his name from consideration as McAuliffe’s Secretary of Flying Around the World to Run Up Hotel and Restaurant Tabs.
Wonder when they’ll write that.
Let’s see if they can squeeze it in between their 100 editorials against Don Luzzatto paying tolls to get to work and more Medicaid-is-the-free-market-in-action messages.
