Virginia Legal*Political Blog

Former Roanoke city councilman Brian Wishneff has been hit with a $3,700 civil fine for allowing the use of a fake name in a newspaper ad attacking an opponent in his re-election campaign last May.
In addition to the penalty imposed by the State Board of Elections, Wishneff also faces criminal prosecution, reports The Roanoke Times.  [...]

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Those two happy warriors on the left played to modest crowds in Richmond and Roanoke today.
About 300 people turned out at Richmond’s Farmer’s Market this morning to hear former Pres. Bill Clinton tout his former campaign leader Terry McAuliffe’s bid for governor.  The number was more like 250 at Roanoke’s old Number One Fire Station [...]

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Rep. Rick Boucher, D-9th, tells Wired that some form of Internet privacy legislation is likely to emerge from his high-tech subcommittee.
Thursday’s hearing will key in on privacy issues surrounding Internet service providers who keep tabs on the data they deliver to and from their customers.
Boucher’s proposed privacy law will likely be a broad codification of [...]

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Former Del. George Rawlings Jr., a Fredericksburg attorney, died yesterday at Mary Washington Hospital.
Rawlings began his law practice in Fredericksburg in 1947, reports The Free Lance-Star. A liberal Democrat, Rawlings was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1963 and served until 1969. He served on the Democratic National Committee until 1980 and was [...]

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Del. Lacey Putney, the state’s longest-serving legislator, plans to extend his run.
The 81-year-old has served in the House of Delegates since 1962.
The Roanoke Times reports the Bedford independent will stand for election again in November. So far, no one has announced plans to run against him.

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McGuireWoods reportedly is in talks with former North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley about a spot at the firm’s Raleigh office.
According to The News & Observer, McGuire might use Easley and two of his former aides to beef up the burgeoning lobbying operation at the Raleigh office.
It’s a familiar scenario for McGuire.  The paper reports the [...]

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Former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore has put his backing behind John Brownlee of Roanoke, one of three contenders for the Republican nomination for attorney general.  The blessing gives Brownlee a boost over rivals state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli of Fairfax and Arlington lawyer Dave Foster.
According to The Roanoke Times, Kilgore said Brownlee’s prosecutorial experience would give [...]

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NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg has recorded a TV spot criticizing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Bob McDonnell for his stance on gun control.
As reported by The New York Times, Bloomberg traveled to Arlington to attack what he called a loophole in Virginia law that allows private gun sales without criminal background checks.  Noting the coming anniversary of [...]

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