Republican attorney general candidate John Adams is blasting Democratic incumbent Mark Herring on news that the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) passed a resolution today investigating the Office of the Attorney General.
From the Adams campaign:
“Mark Herring has been attacking me for being a good lawyer and representing my clients. Meanwhile, he continues to – in his own words – be the ‘voice of the resistance’ in Virginia and force his progressive agenda on Virginia instead of being our lawyer. The results are predictable, and I am pleased to see that JLARC has noticed. While he has picked and chosen which of our laws to defend, his office was successfully sued in a pay discrimination case, sanctioned by a judge for discovery violations, and took money from human trafficking programs to give pay raises to his political allies in the office. And the Commonwealth pays the price. Virginia desperately needs a new lawyer.”
The JLARC resolution is neither kind nor sympathetic to AG Mark Herring, who is about to find himself on the wrong side of an audit:
RESOLVED by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission that staff be directed to review the operations and performance of the OAG. In conducting its study, staff shall (i) evaluate the allocation and expenditure of forfeiture and other non-general funds; (ii) examine the process for authorization of staff pay increases; (iii) examine the process for the retention of private attorneys and special counsel; (iv) evaluate the adequacy of legal assistance provided in the development of state contracts; (v) assess whether the OAG has adequate resources and expertise to efficiently and effectively serve as the state’s legal counsel; (vi) evaluate the performance of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; (vii) evaluate the performance of the Division of Consumer Counsel; (viii) make recommendations as necessary; and (ix) review other issues as warranted.
All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance, information, and data to JLARC for this study, upon request. JLARC staff shall have access to all information in the possession of state agencies pursuant to § 30-59 and § 30-69 of the Code of Virginia. No provision of the Code of Virginia shall be interpreted as limiting or restricting the access of JLARC staff to information pursuant to this statutory authority.
The investigation is slated to conclude by December 2019, demonstrating that the General Assembly intends to do a thorough and intensive reform of the Office of Attorney General in order to prevent Herring’s abuses from repeating themselves.
This news comes as there are inklings that Adams himself may very well be within striking distance of Herring, as the gubernatorial ticket continues to sandbag Herring’s campaign effort and is threatening to capsize the Democratic ticket.
Meanwhile, Adams continues to run a campaign that could only be termed as heroic — against odds and against a massive progressive-built warchest.
