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Category: Readers' Opinions

■ 30 July 2008 | 9:13 AM

Objection! Moran defends, rectifies hiring Spruill

Thank you for the concerns raised in your editorial of July 26 regarding our staff. While we are disappointed that you insisted on implying the presence of scandal while admitting that none exists, thank you for making it clear that your focus was potential abuses, not actual ones.

Del. Lionell Spruill of Chesapeake is a valuable and important member of the Virginians for Brian Moran team. He leads outreach efforts in Hampton Roads and organizes support for Del. Moran across the state in the African-American community. Given Moran’s long service in the House of Delegates, he has worked with Spruill for more than a decade, and it was a clear choice to bring him into the campaign team for this important work.

We seek to strike a balance between Spruill’s right to earn a living as a part-time legislator and the concerns raised by your editorial. In a part-time legislature, any job held by a legislator has the potential for conflicts of interest, whether it’s a lawyer practicing in front of judges that he appoints, a school administrator in a school system she oversees or a developer working under growth laws he wrote. We have a history of electing honest individuals, and we put the public trust in their ability to steer clear of conflicts; we trust the people of the commonwealth to elect trustworthy individuals.

In light of the concerns raised, Moran plans to introduce a change to the General Assembly rules that expands the current ban on fundraising during the legislative session to include a ban on employment of any legislator by any candidate for public office or political committee during the same time period.

In addition, whether the House adopts our proposed change or not, Spruill will take unpaid leave from the campaign during next year’s regular General Assembly session. Moran has given careful thought to the points your editorial raised and hopes these actions alleviate any immediate concerns while recognizing Virginia has a part-time legislature.

We hope your paper recognizes and appreciates the unique circumstances in this situation. It is not unprecedented for gubernatorial candidates to hire their most trusted advisers. In this case, given Moran’s long public service, he counts other elected officials as part of that group.

Mame Reiley

Director

Virginians for Brian Moran

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