McAuliffe attorney says feds found no crime, rebuts 'false information' on probe's focus

Richmond Times-Dispatch ^ | 5/25/16 | Graham Moomaw

[randita]

McAuliffe attorney says feds found no crime, rebuts 'false information' on probe's focus

BY GRAHAM MOOMAW Richmond Times-Dispatch | Posted: Wednesday, May 25, 2016 4:15 pm

An attorney representing Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Wednesday that the federal investigation into the governor should be closed because there's no evidence McAuliffe violated laws dealing with foreign influence of U.S. policy.

James W. Cooper, a lawyer with the D.C.-based firm Arnold & Porter, said the U.S. Department of Justice told him the probe is focused on McAuliffe's foreign sources of income before he became governor and whether he lobbied on behalf of those interests without registering as a foreign agent.

"We understand from the Justice Department that they do not have evidence that that occurred," Cooper said in a phone interview.

Cooper said the Justice Department did not mention donations from Chinese businessman Wang Wenliang, the Clinton Global Initiative or public corruption.

"I want - to the extent Governor McAuliffe's reputation has been tarnished - to at least put out what we understand from the government as the nature of their investigation," Cooper said. He added that he wished to "dispel some of the false information" attributed to government officials.

CNN reported Monday that the Justice Department and FBI are investigating McAuliffe over contributions to his 2013 gubernatorial campaign, particularly $120,000 in contributions from a New Jersey-based company linked to Wang. McAuliffe has said Wang is a valid donor because he has permanent legal status in the U.S., which makes him eligible to contribute to political campaigns under federal law.

Cooper said investigators are exploring a potential violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires representatives of foreign entities to disclose their connections before engaging in political activity, such as lobbying, in the U.S.

"This matter focuses on governor McAuliffe's receipt of some funds from some foreign sources during the time when he was a private citizen and a global businessman," Cooper said. "So it is unremarkable that he would have foreign sources of income."

Cooper did not identity a specific source of foreign income that has come under scrutiny.

"What I can say is that there's ample information on public sources about then-Mr. McAuliffe's business with state-owned enterprises and doing things like infrastructure projects," Cooper said.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment.

McAuliffe pushed back earlier Wednesday on revelations about the investigation, saying CNN was "sold a bag of goods" and criticizing federal agencies over what he called a "leak."

"It is very unfortunate that our institutions of integrity like [the U.S. Department of Justice] and the FBI would leak information," McAuliffe said during a morning appearance on WTOP's "Ask the Governor" program. "I think they should be held to a higher standard."

McAuliffe said his lawyer had contacted the Justice Department and received assurances that no wrongdoing has been found.

"Unless there's something I don't know today, I just don't know, but this poor man has been dragged through the mud for giving a legitimate contribution," McAuliffe said.

McAuliffe suggested to reporters Tuesday that he had never met Wang, but he clarified Wednesday that the two men may have met "once or twice," but the total encounters were likely "less than 10 minutes."

"They say that he may have come to the inaugural. Not sure," McAuliffe said. "We may have had him over for a cup of coffee with my secretary of [agriculture]. So we're having our people pull out all the schedules. But I have had no dealings. I would not know the man if he sat in this chair next to me."

The full scope of the investigation, first reported by CNN, remains unclear. McAuliffe said it wasn't clear to him what attracted the interest from investigators.

"I'm as baffled as anybody else," McAuliffe said.

[WENDLE]

Here is how he violated the law. IMO. The Chinese government agents get a conduit in the US ( obviously a Chiness “gree carder) with a business here. He washes the money and gives it to Hillary (foundation) and McCaulifflower after washing. It is a conduit. It happened with bill — he got millions from the Chinesehttp://www.nwotoday.com/the-new-world-orders-history/the-socialist-review-american-politicians/bill-clinton/the-china-gate-canidate. Please read this to become informed . This has all happened before . This is a Clinton pattern . Where is the FBI?

[ptsal]

WHERE IS THE FBI?

Well, they are in ass-covering mode.

No one .... not a single soul in the FBI wants to be the public spokesman on this topic.

[falcon99]

Well, by golly, since a Dem lawyer says there is nothing there, then there must be nothing there. By that rationale we wouldn’t ever need trials cause the defense lawyers could just state that their client was innocent. Dems and lawyers (I know I repeat myself) are pure scum.