The officials say investigators are especially interested in contributions from Wang Wenliang, a Chinese politician.
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Co-host Savannah Guthrie began the one-minute-and-55-second segment by stating that “a long-time ally of Bill and Hillary Clinton is facing possible legal trouble” as “Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe is coming under scrutiny for campaign contributions he received when he ran for governor”.
The governor’s office referred questions to Marc Elias, partner in the Washington law firm of PerkinsCoie who was the lawyer for McAuliffe’s 2013 campaign. USA election law prohibits foreign national donations to political races.
While there have been no official charges filed against McAuliffe, the governor is now being sued by his own Legislature. Donations to McAuliffe’s campaign made by Chinese businessman Wang Wenlia that were funneled through his USA businesses are a key part of the FBI investigation.
Elias could not immediately be reached but he said in a statement to CNN that “the governor will certainly cooperate with the government if he is contacted about it”.
“There is no allegation of wrongdoing”, Mr. McAuliffe said.
CNN first reported on the federal probe which has been going on for at least a year. Indeed, donors to Clinton’s slush fund often donated to McAuliffe.
According to records, the probe may involve dozens of donors who gave to the governor’s campaign. However, Wang’s status as a permanent resident which obfuscates the matter since USA citizens are allowed to contribute to US campaigns. But he insisted the situation “has nothing to do with the Clinton Foundation”. McAuliffe served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005, was aide to President Clinton’s election campaign and was a top aide during Hillary Clinton’s failed 2008 presidential bid. Republicans had already been critical of his closeness to her, and their criticism heated last month when McAuliffe issued an executive order to restore voting rights to about 206,000 released felons. It’s complicated-and it highlights just how much Clinton and McAuliffe’s questionable shared connections haunt their political dreams.
McAuliffe has had a busy day. In 2014, Bob McDonnell was convicted for corruption for receiving $175,000 worth of gifts from a donor.
Also a year ago, a Department of Homeland Security Inspector General’s report concluded McAuliffe got special treatment when he sought movement on long-delayed visa applications tied to GreenTech, an electric vehicle company that he helped found.
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Summary: Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe is now facing a probe from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department.
