Sources: VA GOP to Hold Emergency Meeting Monday About McDonnell

As the political career of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, a Republican, reels from a series of scandalous allegations, the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to consider their next step, according to multiple sources with knowledge of these matters who spoke with Breitbart News on Saturday. The State Central Committee would not confirm the meeting.

The crisis comes as recent polls show the current Republican nominee for governor in this November’s election, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, is in a tight race with Democratic nominee and Bill Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe.

Until four month ago, McDonnell had a reputation as a squeaky clean politician. That all ended in March, when the Washington Post reported that McDonnell had accepted a $15,000 gift of catering services for his daughter Caitlin’s  2011 wedding from Jonnie Williams, the CEO of Star Scientific, a company currently involved in a $700,000 tax dispute with the State of Virginia. 

The funds were allegedly paid to Terry Schneider, who was also at the time the executive chef at the Governor of Virginia’s Mansion. Schneider was fired from his job in March 2012 in the midst of allegations of embezzlement, but he has been the source subsequently for many additional reports of questionable conduct by the Governor and his wife.

On June 25, the Washington Post reported that McDonnell’s wife had accepted a $6,500 Rolex watch from Jonnie Williams.

Last Saturday Willie Deutsch, a contributor at the influential Bearing Drift Virginia political blog, reportedthat Governor McDonnell was involved in plea deal negotiations that would result in his resignation. That report was vehemently denied by McDonnell’s spokespersons and his attorney.

On Tuesday, Governor McDonnell disputed reports of his pending resignation. He told Richmond television station NBC 12, “Those are some really, really bad rumors so you shouldn’t pay attention to them.” 

Then on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported that Williams also “gave $70,000 to a corporation owned by Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and his sister last year, and the governor did not disclose the money as a gift or loan, according to people with knowledge of the payments.” In addition, Williams “also gave a previously unknown $50,000 check to the governor’s wife, Maureen, in 2011, the people said.”

The Post also reported on Wednesday that Williams gave McDonnell a check for $10,000 to defray costs of his daughter Jeanine’s May 2013 wedding.

The total value of previously unreported cash and gifts provided by Williams and accepted by Governor McDonnell, his wife, or a corporation they control has now reached $151,500.

Breitbart News contacted several members of the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia on Saturday to confirm reports of an emergency meeting, but has received no response from any member of the State Central Committee.