WASHINGTON – Since taking office last January, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has accepted gifts that are far less costly than either of his two predecessors did during their first year in office.
McAuliffe instituted a $100 gift cap for himself, his family and his staff immediately after he was sworn into office amid the corruption probe of former Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen.
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, an independent tracker of money in state politics, the average value of the 57 gifts reported by McAuliffe was just $99 during his first 10 months in office. In comparison, Tim Kaine accepted 61 gifts with an average value of $510 and McDonnell accepted 39 gifts with an average value of $661 during their first years as governor.
In addition to the ties, t-shirts, key chains and totes, McAuliffe also was gifted much more obscure items. During a trade mission to Seoul he was given two golden dragon artworks and while in Taiwan he received a lazurite statue of the “imperial seal of his Majesty at seventy.” He received silk embroidered cranes in a shadow box from the Yeongdon Children’s Choir. And he was given an item described as a “stuffed alligator/beer stein” from Evonik, a specialty chemical company with a facility in Central Virginia.
The governor also accepted 15 videos from HBO for the Executive Mansion valued at $564. His financial disclosures note that any gift worth more than $100 was donated.
McAuliffe also reported $23,185 worth of gifts from his political action committee Common Good VA, which covered two Democratic Governors Association events and plane trips to Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
In May, McAuliffe and his wife Dorothy accepted two tickets to a Baltimore Orioles game from team owner Peter Angelos.
During WTOP’s “Ask the Governor” this week, McAuliffe said he wrote Angelos a check to cover the cost of the $150 tickets minus the $100 he’s allowed under the gift cap. He similarly repaid Redskins owner Dan Snyder for a team jacket and jersey, which had McAuliffe’s name on the back.
Not listed under the 2014 financial disclosures are a beaver pelt McAuliffe said he was given recently by members of Virginia’s Native American community and a military-style hat with a plume from the Virginia Military Institute.
McAuliffe also defended his $100 gift cap in lieu of a zero tolerance policy. He said most of the gifts are ceremonial or trinkets that carry meaning and pride for the communities who offer them.
“People can give me ceremonial type gifts. If it’s over $100, I don’t take it.”
He wants to see the Virginia General Assembly put into law the $100 gift cap and to create an ethics commission that has subpoena and enforcement power.
Several bills addressing gift limits and the ethics commission are moving through the legislature. Lawmakers passed an ethics commission bill last year, but McAuliffe said it didn’t go far enough.
“I feel very confident we’re going to have some real reform legislation coming out of this session,” he said.
