With political fundraisers, sometimes elected officials auction off the chance to have lunch with them at their favorite restaurant, sometimes a chance to hit the back-9 at the local golf course, or chance to travel with them. Though, it seems that Democrats are taking it just a bit too far as State Senator Barbara Favola (D-Arlington) tried to auction off inside access to her office.
At the annual Fairfax County Democratic dinner on Sunday, during the silent auction, Favola’s posted item offered “a day with her in Richmond” and also read:
“The winner will be welcomed by the Senate during the day’s floor session, and will receive a tour of the Capitol. The winner will also have the opportunity to attend committee hearings and help out in the senator’s busy legislative office — gaining an inside look into the lawmaking process!”
Whoa, hold on just a second…
The Virginia Capitol is a public building and the legislative process of the General Assembly is public, therefore, free for attendees. Attending committee meetings and being recognized in the Senate chamber are also free of charge. At a time when people are more conscious about public corruption and trading donation for political access, where did this offer come from?
On Twitter, an exchange was made between Favola and political consultant Ben Tribbett. He said that he was, “horrified…she is literally auctioning off an official introduction on the Senate floor and inside access to her office for the day.”
Favola replied quickly, “I never approved this auction item and I asked that the item be pulled!”
In a report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Paul Ryan, vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause in Washington (not the Speaker of the House), said in an email that he was “astounded” that either Favola or someone on her legislative team or advisers would think the auction proposal was a good idea.
“The idea that a member of the state legislature would auction off access to the Senate floor and committee meetings, and the opportunity to spend the day with the legislator, is an outrageous example of ‘pay to play’ politics,” Ryan said by email. His firm works to reduce the influence of money and politics. “Preferential treatment for those who can afford to write $400 checks to legislators is unethical and undemocratic.”
In an interview Monday, Favola said it was a mistake to offer such a package, and said the intent was only to offer lunch and a day in Richmond with her.
“I was auctioning the lunch. We just happened to say that these other things would be included,” Favola said. Well, “just happened to say” rhymes with “pay to play” and looks like Chicago’s Rod Blagojevich.
The winning bid for the package deal was $400. Favola said that as soon as she found out there was concern, she agreed to pay that to the Fairfax County Democratic Party herself so the winning bidder can spend a day with her without having paid anything.
Winchester’s Brian White was the winning bidder. During a Monday interview, he admitted that the offer “blurred the line of appropriateness.”
“I was looking at how much it was and I was like, Dominion [Energy] pays a whole lot more for this type of access,” he said.
Favola was, “probably well-intentioned but the optics were terrible, especially when there’s such outrage over corporate PAC money…” he said.
White said he plans to offer the “day in Richmond” to Theresa “Red” Terry, the redheaded Roanoke County woman who spent 34 days in the treetops at Bent Mountain to protest the construction of a natural gas pipeline.
The man also won the bid to grab lunch with three other Democratic lawmakers: Senator Janet Howell (D-Fairfax), Delegate Jennifer Boysko (D-Loudoun), and Senator Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax). After winning the total $1,220 bid, White tweeted, “Beat that, @DominionEnergy!!!!”
