As a final salvo from his now eight year office, soon-to-be-former Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling again lends his voice to ethics reform.
“It is important that the General Assembly address this issue this year. I know there will be a great temptation to ‘nibble around the edges,’ to do as little as possible without making substantive changes to our ethics laws. But that’s not good enough. That won’t solve this problem, and it won’t satisfy the people of Virginia. The people of Virginia are looking to us to provide the leadership that is necessary to address this issue in a meaningful and substantive way. Let’s get it done. Let’s do it now. Let’s not let them down.”
The McDonnell administration has spent the better part of the last year defending rumors of ethics violations and impending indictments over the Jonnie Williams/Star Scientific scandal. The scandal has led to a renewed interest in Richmond’s capitol square deciders to come up with bipartisan legislation addressing the issue.
Of course, while LG Bolling has made his voice known, it will likely be Democrat LG-to-be Ralph Northam, who also campaigned on the issue, to take the credit with Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe, should something manage to pass both Houses and be signed into law.
It is unlikley that Bolling’s position on this issue will truly move the ball down the field on ethics reform, other than to distance himself from the McDonnell administration.
