Register & Bee asking Goode the tough questions.
Last night I implored reporters to start asking Rep. Virgil Goode tough questions about his relationship with MZM. Little did I know that, just yesterday, The Danville Register & Bee‘s Gerald Witt did just that. Thanks to Witt, we now know the following about this matter, according to Goode:
- Goode’s relationship with Mitchell Wade began “in 2001 or 2002.”
- The illegal contributions from MZM came in three forms: from Wade in person, in the mail, and directly from the donors at events.
- The DoJ has not contacted Goode, and he was not questioned by the grand jury.
- Goode has been asked about his relationship with Wade by the Martinsville Bullet and the Franklin County News-Post, and he will release a statement to them shortly
A particularly curious bit of the article is this exchange:
When asked if his vote is for sale when it means jobs for the 5th District, Goode replied, “When people come by the office, one thing I always talk to them about is, ‘What can you bring for the 5th District?’ I’ve submitted a whole lot of appropriations for jobs in the 5th District.”
I think that’s a “yes.” I can’t imagine why he’d give that answer — it might be a clever line in a speech to job-starved areas, but the Department of Justice is watching now. I don’t know if he’s just being flip, but this strikes me as an unwise response.
Goode’s responses demand additional questions, of course. The money that was given in March of 2003 and March of 2005 — how was that delivered to him? If he received it directly from the donors at an event, would that have been the same event at which Wade was handing out stacks of hundred dollar bills to his employees and telling them to write checks to Goode and, if so, why did Goode accept the money? How about a “yes” or a “no” to the “is your vote for sale” question? Will Goode disclose all of his earmarks and, if not, why — isn’t that public information? Will he release copies of all of his communications with MZM, or at least all of the communications pertaining to those earmarks?
I could go on.
Again, bravo to Gerald Witt for asking tough questions and to the Register & Bee for running the responses. If Rep. Goode has done nothing wrong — which is altogether possible — he should have no reason to fear answering questions and disclosing all relevant actions and documents. Keep up the good work.
3 Comments