RICHMOND
The Democrat running to be Virginia's top prosecutor says Newport News Republican Phillip Hamilton should immediately resign his seat in the House of Delegates.
Attorney general candidate Steve Shannon, a delegate from Fairfax County, called on Hamilton to step down Sunday evening, days after a report in The Virginian-Pilot revealed that Hamilton used e-mails to negotiate a paid job for himself at an Old Dominion University teaching center for which he secured state startup funds in 2007.
The Center for Teacher Quality and Educational Leadership at ODU has received $500,000 annually since then, and Hamilton had been paid $40,000 a year as an independent contractor. School leaders and Hamilton last week said they mutually agreed to end that relationship.
Hamilton, reached by phone Sunday, said he has no plans to resign.
Officials from both political parties have expressed dismay about Hamilton's conduct, and Shannon is the first to publicly push Hamilton to quit the seat he has held for 20 years.
"The bottom line is that Phil Hamilton appears to have attempted to use his position of public trust and taxpayers' money to enrich himself," Shannon said in a statement.
"I think Phil Hamilton needs to resign immediately, in order to ensure that Virginia maintains its reputation for honest government and fiscal responsibility," he said.
It is unclear whether an ethics investigation of Hamilton's actions has begun. Such investigations are confidential.
Evaluations of complaints filed are conducted by a five-member House ethics advisory panel. Those deemed founded can be forwarded to Attorney General Bill Mims, a Republican, for possible prosecution.
Virginia's conflict-of-interest law bars lawmakers from accepting money for services performed within the scope of their legislative duties. Violation of the law is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
When he spoke with The Pilot in July, Hamilton said there was no conflict of interest because he had no discussions with ODU officials about possible employment with the center before he introduced a budget amendment for it.
Yet e-mails obtained by the newspaper through a Freedom of Information Act request showed that Hamilton exchanged messages with ODU officials in 2006 and 2007 about obtaining funding for the center and getting a job. In several of those back-and-forth conversations, Hamilton discussed his desired salary.
Hamilton said the public response to his saga was "overwhelmingly positive" during door-to-door campaign visits in his district Saturday.
"I made a mistake, I've accepted responsibility for it... and people are behind me," he said. He characterized Shannon's resignation remarks as a political ploy.
An adviser to GOP attorney general candidate Ken Cuccinelli, a state senator from Fairfax County, said the Republican is disappointed in Hamilton, but has refrained from condemning him.
"Delegate Phil Hamilton's future is in the hands of the voters of Newport News and Phil Hamilton," said Cuccinelli spokesman Chris LaCivita. "Steve Shannon should be more worried about running his own campaign than interfering with and running other people's campaigns."
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
Bill Sizemore, (757) 446-2276, bill.sizemore@pilotonline.com
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Typical Conservative Republican
Deny, Distract, Delay, Defend
His fellow Republicans...
should increase the pressure on him to resign. The Republicans do not need to swim in the same sewer as the Dems when one of theirs is exposed in wrongdoing. The Dems celebrate theirs (I still chuckle when those who called for Barney Frank to resign because he got nailed - oops, pardon the pun - for running a gay cathouse out of his basement were accused of 'gay bashing', and were ultimately successful in keeping him in office). I know Frank isn't local, but the end result is the same. I'll wager Hamilton will resign or be removed before Mayor Holly is.
Why Resign?
It would be better to prosecute him while in office.
How many others?
One would have to ask how many others in public office are doing the same as this Delegate?
It seems that there is a real issue of trust held by most citizens in our elected officials and their motives. This is good proof that validates such lack of trust in a very clear way. The reason people are getting so vocal and loud at the "Town Hall" meetings about Health-Care, is a valid belief that their elected representatives do not represent their interests any longer and this is a good example that they are right and on target!
Delegate Hamilton would best serve the Commonwealth by resigning now and show at least a moderate amount of respect for the people of Virginia. Also, the ethics laws of Virginia need to be stronger, so that there is a bite to doing this kind of crime! This issue and such criminal conduct violating our trust, highlights the fact that there must be stronger laws to punish such crimes and abusers!
Delegate Hamilton should resign now and we all must demand stronger laws to check such abuse...
Politicians are by definition
CROOKS! And of course they are above the law. Whether they get the money during (a la Mr. Hamilton) or after (too many to name) the powerful industries that they do favors for during their service in return for campaign contributions take care of "their" crooks. This was a straight kickback deal as evidenced by the email trail.
I do agree that some folks at ODU should be fired, though. ODU is not blameless here.
Why
Why do so many people want Hamilton to resign, yet allow the people at ODU go free from blame and consequences? One could not have accomplished this without the help of the other.
Hamilton
This comes to light after he served twenty years , what else is in that dark closet ?Just another reason for term limits .
Exactly
If you see one roach in your house, there are probably more. If you see one mouse in your house, there are probably more. If you get caught in a lie or dirty dealing, there have probably been more.
Business as Usual..yes
As with any politician found with his hand in the cookie jar, they refuse to do the right thing. They justify their actions, apologize publicly (generally an apologetic speech written by a staffer), then do the TV circuit, perhaps write a book...but, resign? Rarely does a politican (regardless of party) do the right thing, why should he be any different?
Have him
hired by the Public Defender's office to mop the floors !!! This toolbox created that office. Let him benefit from THAT at lest !!
business as usual
Not talking about Hamilton, talking about partisan BS. Rebublicans don't have the market cornered on lying to the public or violating their trust. I challenge you to stow that parisan junk where it belongs and stick to the topic.
If Hamilton won't do the right thing it's up to the voters to do the right thing for him.
Above the Law
Here is another Republican who thinks he is above the law. Throw him out if he won't resign.
Dems could take a lesson
Most Repubs will agree Hamilton should be booted; willingly or otherwise.
Most Dems, however, while calling for justice whenever the oppossing side gets caught, will circle the wagons & protect their scoundrels & scandals (e.g. Holley, Dodd, Conrad.)
Hey Lefties, what's with Obama appointing that admitted Communist, Van Jones, as "Green Czar"? Is it just more in-your-face politics or does Jones have some kind of redeeming value?
Huh - ya didn't know 'cause it wasn't reported by the Pilot? What can I say?
Gee Blob
Both parties have crooks...nice partisan hooey. Do you want me to list all the Democrat losers also. No matter the party, if they cheat, steal, lie etc...get rid of them.
No party affiliation
Bob, it's a shame you can't go back and edit your post. Simply put, you'd need to replace "Republican" with "politician". Lying/cheating/stealing is the modus operandi of the vast majority of all politicians, whether they be the President of the United States or a member of a small-town board of supervisors (Gloucester quickly comes to mind!).
Our buddy Phil
He should resign, he should be prosecuted, he should be run out of town.
Does he still work for the Newport News Public Schools System maybe that should be over also.
It is said his wife has a job at CNU @ $90k/yr to put on one charity golf match, if that is true, maybe that should be looked into also?
"accepted responsibility for it"
and also accepted many thousands of dollars for the opportunistic largess of taxpayers' dollars.
If he had any sense of dignity
He should resign if he has any sense of dignity left. He got caught red handed in the cookie jar of conflict of interest and he should be prosecuted for it. Barring that, do let the voters decide if they want such a person who does such behind the scenes shennanigans representing them.