I’ve been following all day the posts about Republican Del. Phil Hamilton. The Daily Press has been all over this, following up with not one but at least five more articles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and a scathing blog post. The Washington Post hasn’t been too far behind, with a couple of blog posts about it.
Hamilton is said to have considered resigning his seat. And I wonder what Speaker Bill Howell really thinks about this situation.
I’ve been hearing rumblings of a federal investigation, since no one thinks the legislature is going to do anything to Hamilton. I think the legislature – as weak as its conflict of interest laws are – should make an example of Hamilton and vigorously pursue action against him for this.
Since he won’t drop out, I hope the voters in the 93rd will retire him on November 3 by electing Robin Abbott.
UPDATE: And another story on The Daily Press, this one about the AG’s office.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
This guy needs to go. Howell should be recruiting a replacement now.
Shamilton’s latest illegal conflict of interest, as bad as it is, is really small potatos compared to some of the things he and Bob McDonnell have supported in the past.
Let’s see, McDonnell, as Attorney General supported the terrible transportation bill of 2007 and ruled it constitutional while Shamilton campaigned and wrote articles supporting it. Then the Va Supreme Court unanimously ruled the whole thing unconstitutional, left McDonnell and Shamilton with Egg on their faces, Virginian without a transportation plan and Virginians out of millions. STRIKE ONE!
McDonnell and Shamilton both went out of their way to support the illegal King William Reservoir debacle and helped create a bill over $50 Million dollars and rising for residents of Newport News and the rest of the Peninsula. All the money wasted because Hamilton and McDonnell were ready to lend the power of their offices to the Good Old Boy network to support an unneeded big money project at water bill payer’s expense. STRIKE TWO!!
McDonnell and Shamilton have worked tirelessly to loosen environmental regulations on big business and developers as the state’s waterways become more and more polluted and cost more and more to clean up. STRIKE THREE AND THEY ARE OUT!!!
Now Shamilton has a big fourth strike and I’ll bet his buddy McDonnell voted for the money for ODU, some of which has apparently been siphoned to Shamilton. STRIKE FOUR????
If the average person who wants good, honest government for the benefit of society as a whole thinks the cabal of Hamilton, McDonnell and their ilk will deliver it, they will be in for a big disappointment. Government under McDonnell and Hamilton will be a gift to their big money contributors. Their regime will make the disasters of former Governor Jim Gilmore look like the good old days.
viv,
We were following up on the story because it broke off our deadline but I thought you’d want to hear our headline:
“Hamilton e-mails suggest kickback: Scandal puts General Assembly career at risk.”
Is that available online anywhere?
I guess it is if you subscribe to our e-edition. We only put the front page…and some short teaser blurbs on the website. Not the way I’d do it, but these things are decided above my paygrade.