But a federal official told The Washington Post federal investigators are looking broadly at donations to McAuliffe and at his personal finances.
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Spokespeople for the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to comment to CNN.
McAuliffe was not made aware of the investigation by the federal officials, according to the report.
Among the donations that drew the interest of the investigators was $120,000 from a Chinese businessman, Wang Wen-Liang, through his United States businesses.
“Foreign nationals are prohibited from making any contributions or expenditures in connection with any election in the USA …”
CNN first reported the inquiry, saying that investigators are looking into a six-figure contribution that Chinese businessman Wang Wenliang made to McAuliffe’s campaign through his USA businesses.
“Here you have a democratic justice department investigating a democratic governor”, he said.
What spices up the investigation is that one of the possible illegal contributions came from a Chinese national when McAuliffe, a longtime crony of the Clintons, was serving on the board of the Clinton Global Initiative.
McAuliffe said he was “shocked” by the news.
MSNBC’s Morning Joe panelist Mark Halperin called the close ties Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D.) has with the Clintons and the Democratic Party “very bad” for them on Tuesday.
Wang has also donated to the Clinton Foundation in the past, and Goodman says he thinks the timing of this leak is politically motivated.
“This has nothing to do with the Clinton Foundation”, he said.
US Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe speaks during a press conference at the Mariel development zone, in Mariel, Artemisa Province, Cuba, on January 5, 2016.
The Chinese billionaire has a history of philanthropy to US institutions, having donated to New York University, Harvard and environmentalists based in Florida. McAuliffe told reporters that he, like the public, learned of the probe from that report.
“Absolutely, I would buy a new auto from Terry”, Clinton told Times reporter Mark Leibovich in 2012. Bob McDonnell, who was convicted in 2014 of corruption charges.
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Although the McAuliffe investigation involves different circumstances, it could prompt people to revisit the subject of elected officials’ ethics. The Supreme Court is reviewing his appeal.
