Ex-Va. State Senator Whose Resignation Prompted Investigation Lawyers Up

State Sen. Phillip Puckett, D-Russell, gestures as he poses a question during the Senate Committee on Agriculture, conservation and Natural Resources public hearing on a bill that would limit strip mining of coal, at... State Sen. Phillip Puckett, D-Russell, gestures as he poses a question during the Senate Committee on Agriculture, conservation and Natural Resources public hearing on a bill that would limit strip mining of coal, at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) MORE LESS

The Washington Post reported Friday that Thomas Bondurant Jr., of the Virginia firm Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore, is now representing former Virginia state Sen. Phillip Puckett (D), as investigators look into the circumstances of Puckett’s departure from the state legislature earlier this month. Bondurant, a former federal prosecutor, declined to tell the Post whether Puckett had yet spoken with federal investigators or served with a subpoena to testify before a grand jury.

“From looking at it in a preliminary fashion, I don’t see a crime,” Bondurant told the newspaper. “We’ll continue to do our investigation and respond to whatever we need to at the appropriate time.”

Puckett’s resignation left Republicans in control of both chambers of the Virginia legislature, and cleared the way for the passage of a state budget that did not expand Medicaid under Obamacare — an expansion that would have covered up to 400,000 low-income Virginians. Reports earlier this month indicated that Puckett had stepped down in exchange for a seat on the state’s tobacco commission and a judgeship for his daughter.

Following the controversy over his resignation, Puckett withdrew his name from consideration for the tobacco commission position.

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  1. Avatar for pine pine says:

    “Ex-Va. State Senator Whose Resignation Prompted Investigation Lawyers Up”

    Whats wrong Tommy ? Someone gave you a “HEADS UP” ? LOL!!!

  2. Corruption so obvious cannot go unpunished. There WAS a quid pro quo on the table at the time of the resignation. He accepted a bribe with a promise of a monetary payoff, plain and simple, IMO.

  3. “From looking at it in a preliminary fashion, I don’t see a crime,” Bondurant told the newspaper. “We’ll continue to do our investigation and respond to whatever we need to at the appropriate time.”
    

    Right. Because people are going to believe your report just as much as they believed Christie’s lawyers’ report on Bridgegate.

  4. Avatar for korvu korvu says:

    Judge Haller: Once again, the communication process is broken
    down. It appears to me that you want to skip the arraignment process, go
    directly to trial, skip that, and get a dismissal. Well, I’m not about
    to revamp the entire judicial process just because you find yourself in
    the unique position of defending clients who say they didn’t do it. The
    next words out of your mouth better be “guilty” or “not guilty.” I don’t
    want to hear commentary, argument, or opinion. If I hear anything other
    than “guilty” or “not guilty”, you’ll be in contempt. I don’t even want
    to hear you clear your throat. Now, (enunciating) how do your clients plead?

  5. whats the ole sayin lay down with republicon dogs and ya wind up with a fleas and a jail cell…yeah sounds about right

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