Hillary Clinton to Campaign for Scandal Plagued McAuliffe in Virginia

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is using her star power and communication skills to bolster the political chances of her long time ally, Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, at a “Women for Terry” event in Northern Virginia this Saturday. 

McAuliffe is also mired in several scandals, ranging from recent revelations that he invested in a business venture that profited from stealing the identities of terminally ill patients to separate investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Inspector General’s Office of the Department of Homeland Security into business practices of GreenTech Automotive, the electrical vehicle startup which he served as chairman from 2010 to 2012 and currently serves as chairman emeritus. Breitbart News has also reported that GreenTech Automotive’s joint venture in China stalled because it relied upon investments from the Chinese government that dried up.

Though most polls indicate that McAuliffe continues to lead Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli by margins that range from one point to seven points in next month’s election, voters in Virginia seem to lack enthusiasm for either candidate. Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis appears to be benefiting from the lackluster performances of McAuliffe and Cuccinelli. Polls show him currently enjoying the support of as much as eleven percent of likely Virginia voters.

According to the McAuliffe campaign, Clinton is expected to endorse McAuliffe at Saturday’s event, which marks one of the few times Clinton has appeared publicly with Mr. McAuliffe in his current run for governor of Virginia. Clinton has appeared at two private fundraisers for him so far, and is expected to appear at another fundraiser in Hollywood for him later this month.

McAuliffe and the Clintons have a long relationship. During the 1990s, McAuliffe was the top fundraiser for Hillary Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton. In 2000, McAuliffe was named chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

The decision to stage Clinton’s endorsement of McAuliffe at a women’s event fits perfectly with the McAuliffe campaign team strategy, which is to outspend Cuccinelli by two to one with television ads that bludgeon him repeatedly with one key attack, that he is “anti-woman,” while ignoring and failing to respond to the innumerable scandals that surround his own past business dealings.