McDonnell’s mysterious quarter mil.

The Democratic Party of Virginia issued a press release yesterday about Del. Bob McDonnell (he of “I can’t recall if I ever engaged in oral sex”), candidate for attorney general, that’s pretty interesting. Here it is in its entirety:

Candidate for Attorney General Should Hold Himself to a Higher Standard and Start Following the Spirit of Campaign Finance Legislation

Richmond, VA – The Democratic Party of Virginia today called on Del. Bob McDonnell, the Republican candidate for attorney general, to stop skirting campaign finance disclosure requirements by funneling out-of-state interest group money into his campaign. On a conference call with reporters, former Party Chairman Larry Framme detailed how McDonnell has used his political action committee to accept over a quarter of a million dollars from the American Tort Reform Association, a national organization that isn’t required to disclose its donors.

“If the voters of Virginia can’t trust Bob McDonnell not to circumvent the very campaign laws that he we will be elected to enforce, how can they trust him, for example, not to let these same out-of-state interests unduly affect his decisions as attorney general-and to dictate his policy agenda,” said Framme. “That draws a significant contrast between the levels of trust that the people of Virginia can have in Creigh Deeds, who fully supports full disclosure, and Bob McDonnell, who uses BobPAC to thwart the full disclosure of Virginia’s campaign finance laws.”

Follow the Money
The American Tort Reform Association made two contributions the McDonnell’s PAC in May for a combined $260,000. From May 9 through June 1, McDonnell’s PAC made four in-kind media buys for McDonnell’s campaign for a combined $252,609. That leaves a balance of $7,391, less than 3 percent of the original contribution from the out-of-state tort reform group.

“As an attorney general candidate, Creigh Deeds believes that his campaign and the way conducts it should be reflective of the kind of attorney general he will be,” added Framme. “But words are easy and acts are a little bit tougher.”

“Bob’s PAC has received about $260,000 dollars from a national organization whose donors are not disclosed,” said Framme. “The contributors to Creigh’s campaign, under Virginia’s full disclosure law, have been fully disclosed and will continue to be fully disclosed.”

“That brings a real contrast here between these two candidates,” added Framme.

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic Party of Virginia

McDonnell isn’t breaking the law. What he’s doing may or may not be wrong, in the moral sense. But when a candidate for attorney general accepts money from a PAC and runs it through a second PAC to avoid disclosure, it’s definitely not cool. If nothing else, McDonnell is violating the spirit of Virginia campaign finance law, which says, basically, do whatever you want, but disclose everything.

If Del. McDonnell is taking money from people with whom he’s not proud to be associated, he ought to return the contributions. He shouldn’t hide them. Sen. Deeds is aboveboard in his fundraising. Del. McDonnell, getting his ass kicked in fundraising by Deeds though he may be, ought to rise to the standard due the office that he seeks.