The Daun Hester Story ™ continued on the pages of the Virginian Pilot today, as the lead story in the Hampton Roads section, complete with the requisite big title and photo of her seated in council chambers. (The online version is much tamer than the tabloid style the Pilot employs in the print edition.) The print version has the real meat of the story buried on the back page. Let me point out a couple of things:
[Community Education Partners CEO Randle] Richardson said it was his idea to pay Hester, although he wasn’t sure how much she had earned from CEP. His company also had hired someone else to lobby in Norfolk.
“She spent a lot of volunteer time on this,” Richardson said. “She made it clear she wasn’t going to lobby.”
Did you get that? Hester was a volunteer, looking out for the needs of Norfolk students, when the company decided to pay her. And Hester didn’t lobby on behalf of the company; someone else did.
Both Hester and Richardson said they were unaware of the potential for conflict of interest. Nevertheless, Hester has resigned and apologized.
The end.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Again you guys are missing the big picture. The Norfolk political establishment have made the decission that Daun Hester is no longer acceptable to them. They will stop at nothing to destroy her politically as well as financially. This has been the historical modus operandi of Norfolk’s political establishment. When Norfolk was a banking center, many politicians were on the board of directors of the local banks. They controlled loans and credit. If you dared get out of line, your note was called or you were denied credit. Since the bank headquarters have left Norfolk, because of these same people’s stupidity in ignoring what was going on in other states progressive banking regulations, the political establishment has had to use other means to control those that get out of line. They use the newspaper with much less effect than what the banks could do. Daun Hester will survive this latest attack. Her populist message will be heard loud and clear in 2010.
I DO NOT CARE WHAT SHE DOES OR WHO SHE WORKS FOR! My point was to vivian that she would indeed be lobbying, why do think she resigned for god sake! Do you actually think she would just sit back let things unfold without making a pitch of encouragement to someone, give me a break. Why do you think they “volunteered” her, she didn’t just wake up one day and say “I think I will volunteer for CEP today”.
Do you not think CEP knew her background in education and think she would be the perfect person to LOBBY for their cause, all in the interest of the Kids, which I think is great!
give it up already! I hardly think it is some conspiracy theory by the Pilot
An educational “consultant” who is on the payroll (Not a Volunteer) of a Company who is seeking a contract with a body that this same “consutant” has hiring and firing powers over. How can this not be a conflict of interest? Not only from a legal standpoint but as a professional. If I hire a consultant i dont want them on the payroll of a company they recommend. In a nutshell shady politics and shady business.
Aaaaarrrgh!