An AP article today questions the ethics of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, and prominently features, yet does not disclose, a source who happens to be a Democratic donor.
The lead of the article says,
“A lawsuit against the state of Virginia by a nutritional supplement maker whose stock comprises Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s total investment portfolio is raising questions about the Republican’s potential conflicts of interest.”
Later, Paul Campsen, a Norfolk-based tax attorney is quoted as a primary source to validate (or insinuate), that the attorney general is intentionally dragging his feet.
“Paul Campsen, a private attorney in Norfolk for whom tax litigation is a specialty, said he seldom sees tax cases languish the way the Star Scientific lawsuit has. If plaintiffs don’t push them along, then the government to which the disputed tax bill is due usually moves more quickly to recover its money.
…
“Campsen said he believes the decision to step aside and hire outside counsel should have been an easy one for Cuccinelli, given his direct financial interest in the company.“‘To me this isn’t just the appearance of a conflict, it is a conflict of interest,’ he said. ‘This looks bad and this smells bad.'”
Pretty easy for Campsen to say: his only donations listed on VPAP are to Democrats. $2000 to former LG candidate Jody Wagner and $250 to Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim.
Were no other tax attorneys available for interview? To quote Campsen, “This looks bad and this smells bad.”
