Christopher DeLacy is a Partner in our
Washington, D.C. office.
As the 2014 session of the Virginia General Assembly begins
today and Terry McAuliffe is sworn in as Virginia's 72nd
Governor on January 11, ethics reform is sure to be on the agenda.
The only question is whether comprehensive ethics reform will be
considered by the legislature or if ethics reform will be limited
to executive-only actions by the Governor.
Virginia currently stands out among the states in having what is
primarily a no-limit, disclosure-only, gift regime, but it is
unclear if legislators are sufficiently motivated to enact new
rules more in line with other states. Governor-elect McAuliffe has
proposed a $100 gift limit for himself, and
his immediate family as well as a ban on any gifts over $50 to
himself or his family from lobbyists, those who have retained
lobbyists, or anyone with business before the Commonwealth or
involved in an active state procurement - two proposals he
