By David Bossie
Recent reports that U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) was involved in the efforts to help a Virginia State Senator’s daughter find a suitably cushy job if her father did not resign his seat in Richmond (and give Republicans the majority), lands Warner in a whole heap of political trouble. Make no mistake about it, these troubling allegations may very well cost Virginia’s senior senator his once-safe seat. What’s unclear is whether or not Warner’s involvement will cost him his freedom for a federally mandated period of time.
What makes this really bad news for Warner’s re-electability is that his carefully crafted political image is that of an independent leaning Democrat and more of a business-minded public servant than a typical partisan politician. Well that’s all over now. When it’s disclosed – in the midst of an active federal investigation into the matter – that you’ve been engaging in the kind of blatantly partisan shady power games that everyone despises about politicians, you quickly start losing your luster. And rightly so.
Now we come to find out that Senator Warner himself has talked to the FBI about what he did and why. As a former Chief Investigator for Congress, I know for certain that the FBI doesn’t knock on a U.S. Senator’s door asking questions a couple of months before his next election unless they really, really need to. Think about that for a minute. The Feds are only talking to Warner because they’re concerned that he may have broken the law.
The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin is asking the right questions when she writes: “…Has he [Warner] been subpoenaed to provide documents, phone records for example? His campaign won’t say. Was he represented by counsel during the FBI questioning? Did he provide information orally or in writing under oath? No answer. Quite simply, the voters have no idea whether their senator is in any real legal jeopardy.” Even more outrageous is the fact that The Washington Post decided to endorse Warner for re-election a couple of hours after they published the Rubin story from which I quote. First off, this makes The Post look awfully foolish, and to not mention the investigation in their endorsement write-up AT ALL is just dishonest. If only Bob McDonnell had it so good.
If Warner is as bipartisan and pragmatic as The Washington Post makes him out to be, he ought to do the right thing and hold a press conference to answer any and all questions about his role in this federal probe immediately. Here are a few of the question’s I’d ask:
· Has Senator Warner been interview by the grand jury?
· Who asked Senator Warner to make these calls?
· Did Senator Warner discuss this matter with Governor McAuliffe?
· Did Senator Warner talk to anyone in the White House about a potential federal judgeship for Puckett’s daughter?
· Did Senator Warner discuss this matter with Senator Reid or Senator Kaine?
· Has Senator Warner or his staff talked to any political appointees at the Justice Department about the status of this investigation?
Only those sitting on the federal grand jury know all the facts in this case. Will they be voting for Senator Warner?
David Bossie is President of Citizens United.
