House Rule 69 reads “no member who has an immediate and personal interest in the result of the question shall either vote or be counted upon it.” Members abstain when their employment has an interest in the outcome.
VPAP reports that Del. Brian Moran made payments to Del. Lionel Spruill throughout the year, including during the General Assembly session while Spruill was voting on bills patroned by Moran. “I am working for Brian,” Spruill told the Washington Post. Shouldn’t Delegates abstain from bills offered by their “employer?”
Virginia Public Access Project lists the following payments made to Del. Spruill from Del. Moran’s political account.
$7,500 05/30/2008 Consulting Fee
$7,500 04/30/2008 Consulting Fee
$7,500 03/30/2008 Consulting Fee
$5,000 02/29/2008 Consulting Fee
$5,000 02/07/2008 Consulting Fee
$7,500 01/03/2008 Consulting Fee
Nice work if you can get it. The General Assembly was in session from January 9 to March 13. Spruill was paid once right before the session began, twice during session in February, and regularly since.
Moran’s bills, HB 93, 1190, 1241, 1459, and HJ 113 all got votes from Del. Spruill.
Moran’s hiring of a fellow Delegate may have offered a new chapter in conflict of interest rules, which were written to require abstentions from voting members on laws they had a material interest in. When the material interest is not the legislation but the legislator, in my opinion the conflict similarly exists. I’m no lawyer, but taking the money during session and voting on the bills the check-writer is sponsoring can’t be allowed.
Moran can pay Spruill whatever he wants, and I guess he can do it during session if he wants.
But when Moran’s legislation comes to a vote, Spruill should’ve abstained.
