Posts tagged ‘Frivolous Lawsuit’
Cuccinelli Has Mandate to Continue Wasting Our Tax Dollars
At the same April 10th Tea Party Rally in Stafford, VA where Corey Stewart compared the Obama Administration to the Nazi Regime, Ken Cuccinelli insisted that he had a mandate to reign in the Federal Government. He pretty much stated that we should expect more of the same from him (i.e. more frivolous lawsuits).
My favorite quote from him was, “There’s no hide the ball with Ken Cuccinelli. What you see is what you get.” So Ken, if you’re so open, why don’t you level with taxpayers on how much these frivolous lawsuits are costing us? If you have nothing to hide, why don’t you turn over the information requested in a second FOIA request by the Democratic Party of Virginia? They recently requested the following information:
The schedules of Ken Cuccinelli, Solicitor General Duncan Getchell and Deputy Attorney General Wesley Russell for the month of March; a log of communication between Cuccinelli and national Republican political organizations about the lawsuit; a log of communication between Cuccinelli and 13 other state attorneys general who filed suit; communication between Cuccinelli and Governor Bob McDonnell regarding the health care legislation; a list of current Office of Attorney General staff and their salaries.
What’s clear is that Cuccinelli is using the Attorney General’s office to further his political agenda.
Of course, Cuccinelli continues to claim that this lawsuit has only cost $350; and, he has continued to hide the true costs of this lawsuit. If anyone out there actually believes that this lawsuit has only cost $350, I have a bridge to sell you in Alaska.
DPVA: It’s time for Cuccinelli to “Come Clean” on Cost of Frivolous Health Care Lawsuit to Taxpayers
I’m not sure what is more troubling: the fact that Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is choosing to waste taxpayer money on a frivolous lawsuit challenging the recently passed federal health care reform law or the fact that he won’t come clean on what the actual costs are to the taxpayer?
In a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by Virginia Democrats, Cuccinelli chose to hide information on the cost of the lawsuit versus coming clean with Virginians. Well it’s time for Cuccinelli to come clean and stop using the resources of the Attorney General’s office as a slush fund to further his political agenda.
As DPVA Political Director Don Mark rightfully noted, in email earlier today, “as we all know, a lawyers greatest asset is his time and Cuccinelli has still refused to divulge how much time his office is spending on this ideological lawsuit.”
The Democratic Party of Virginia today chose to call him out on his evasiveness and filed a second FOIA request. Nice job, but I’m not holding my breath on the Cooch “coming clean!”
Virginia Democrats File Additional FOIA, After Cuccinelli Refuses to Answer Taxpayer Questions
DPVA: ‘Virginia’s Attorney General appears to have gone rogue’
RICHMOND – Virginia Democrats filed a second Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli on Tuesday, after his initial response avoided answering any questions on the resources expended on a federal health care lawsuit.
Democratic Party of Virginia Executive Director David Mills asked Tuesday for Cuccinelli to come clean with Virginia taxpayers about how much taxpayer-funded staff time was going into Virginia v. Sebelius, Cuccinelli’s health care lawsuit against the federal government. The DPVA’s second FOIA included requests for:
The schedules of Ken Cuccinelli, Solicitor General Duncan Getchell and Deputy Attorney General Wesley Russell for the month of March; a log of communication between Cuccinelli and national Republican political organizations about the lawsuit; a log of communication between Cuccinelli and 13 other state attorneys general who filed suit; communication between Cuccinelli and Governor Bob McDonnell regarding the health care legislation; a list of current Office of Attorney General staff and their salaries.
The full FOIA filed Tuesday is below. In an initial FOIA response issued last week, Cuccinelli’s office had refused to give any information about the resources used on lawsuit preparation. That response is available here: http://www.vademocrats.org/page/-/FOIAresponse033110.pdf.Mills released the following statement Tuesday on the DPVA’s second FOIA:
“Virginia’s Attorney General appears to have gone rogue. Ken Cuccinelli refuses to provide any information to Virginia taxpayers about how much taxpayer-funded attorney time and office resources he’s wasting on a frivolous health care lawsuit against the federal government. In an attempt to find these answers, we have filed another FOIA request with the Office of the Attorney General.
“Based on his response to our initial FOIA request, Ken Cuccinelli has clearly chosen the path of hiding information rather than openness. Furthermore, we have serious questions about his use of the working paper exemption to cover up political communication with parties outside of Virginia.
“We will continue to respectfully ask the Attorney General to be accountable to the taxpayers who pay his salary. While Mr. Cuccinelli has been focused on scoring political points, he has shown little interest in openness with Virginia taxpayers. He has tried to obfuscate at every turn, while thousands of Virginians demand answers.
“Attorney General Cuccinelli has personally said that he believes this lawsuit is about ‘defending the Constitution of the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia.’ [RTD, 3/27]. And yet he also claims that this purported all-important battle for the integrity of the Constitution is only going to cost the Commonwealth $350.
“Based on his office’s statements and response to our initial FOIA request, it seems Ken Cuccinelli wants Virginians to believe that attorneys in his office have devoted no staff time, held no meetings, and diverted no resources of any kind despite the priority he claims to have placed on this lawsuit. Ken Cuccinelli can’t have it both ways: You can’t claim something is a priority in your office and try to pretend it comes cheap.
“We will continue asking the Attorney General for answers through the formal FOIA process. But we ask that Mr. Cuccinelli choose the simpler route: stop ducking answers and come clean with Virginia taxpayers about exactly what resources he is using on this lawsuit.”
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Republican Controlled Prince William Board of Supervisors Passes Resolution to Send Cooch a Letter Thanking Him for Frivolous Health Care Reform Lawsuit
In a press release from the Prince William County Democratic Committee today, Chair Pete Frisbie blasted the Republican controlled Prince William County Board of Supervisors for voting to send a thank you note to Cuccinelli (R-VA) for his lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new federal health care reform law.
As I previously wrote, this lawsuit has little (actually, ZERO) chance of being successful on constitutional grounds and would come at a very steep cost to taxpayers. Instead of filing frivolous lawsuits, Cuccinelli and Gov. McDonnell (R-VA) should focus on using our currently scarce dollars to fully fund education and fix our transportation problems.
All I can say is wow. I thought the current Stafford County Board of Supervisors were nuts. This takes the cake! Here’s the press release from Pete:
The Republican controlled Prince William County Board of Supervisors have passed a motion along a party line vote to send a letter to Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to thank him for protecting their rights as a result of the law suit against the federal government on the health care reform law on the behalf of all of the residents of Prince William County. This is yet another frivolous lawsuit filed against the Federal Government by Virginia’s right wing ideologue Attorney General.
Click here (Go to the 5:00 mark) to watch the debate and the vote amongst our supervisors for yourself
There was no citizen input on this directive from the Board of Supervisors. The Board has no jurisdiction over the federal health care legislation yet they are spending your taxpayer money on letters when our school system just cut $50 million from their budget.
Board Chairman Corey Stewart has even said that he will bring forth a proposal to the Board of Supervisors to ensure that Prince William County will refuse to implement the health care law that was signed by President Obama.
These actions have become typical of the Republicans on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. Please tell Supervisors Corey Stewart (R-At Large), John Stirrup (R-Gainesville, Mike May (R-Occoquan), Marty Nohe (R-Coles), Maureen Caddigan (R-Dumfries), and Wally Covington (R-Brentsville) to stop wasting our tax dollars on their personal political agendas.
We urge them to focus on the issues that face Prince William County every day — such as home foreclosures, rising utility costs, cuts to our school system and predatory loans — rather than writing letters, resolutions or proposals that support frivolous lawsuits against the federal government.
Help us remind our Supervisors of the priorities that matter to Prince William County residents like you and me and lay the groundwork to take back the Board of Supervisors.
Contact these Republicans Supervisors here…
Thanks so much for everything you are doing to stand with Prince William’s families and support the values we share.
Sincerely,
Pete Frisbie
Chair, Prince William County Democratic Committee
The Cooch has apparently met his match in crazy in Prince William County Chairman-At-Large Corey Stewart (R-Prince William). As Pete notes above, Stewart actually
proposed to refuse to implement what he regards as a costly, unconstitutional Federal mandate. He intends to submit a proposal for consideration by the Board of County Supervisors[, which will refuse to implement the new federal health care reform law in Prince William County].
He made these comments at a recent Prince William County Republican Convention held to select party leadership. He also praised the Tea Party movement and drew comparisons between this movement and the movement that drafted the Declaration of Independence. What a complete nut!
Here’s the resolution that passed, courtesy of the Prince William County Democratic Committee:
MOTION: STIRRUP March 23, 2010 Regular Meeting SECOND: COVINGTON Res. No. 10-243 RE: LETTER THANKING THE VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE EFFORTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA TO CHALLENGE THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE FEDERAL PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT ACTION: APPROVED WHEREAS, the U.S. Congress passed on March 21, 2010, and the President of the United States signed into law on March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA); and
WHEREAS, on March 23, 2010 the Commonwealth of Virginia filed suit against Kathleen Sebelius in her official capacity as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for the United States seeking to declare the PPACA unconstitutional (Commonwealth v. Kathleen Sebelius); and
WHEREAS, many other States and private organizations are also seeking to challenge the constitutionality of the PPACA through the federal courts;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Prince William Board of County Supervisors wishes to thank the Virginia Attorney General for his efforts, for protecting the rights of Prince William County residents, and to wish him good luck on his efforts.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Prince William County Attorney’s Office is instructed to look into whether or not the Prince William Board of County Supervisors could file an amicus curiae brief in support of the Commonwealth’s position in Commonwealth v. Kathleen Sebelius.
Votes: Ayes: Caddigan, Covington, May, Nohe, Stewart, Stirrup Nays: Jenkins, Principi Absent from Vote: None Absent from Meeting: None
And here’s the subsequent letter from Stewart, also courtesy of the Prince William Democratic Committee:
Board Letter Thanking Cuccinelli
The Honorable Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II
900 East Main Street
Sixth Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Dear Attorney General Cuccinelli:
Attached please find a copy of a Resolution of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. On behalf of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, I am writing to thank you for your efforts regarding your recent law suit Commonwealth v. Kathleen Sebelius.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA), which was signed by the President of the United States on March 23, 2010 creates a template for federal action that will affect all levels of government and all citizens for years to come. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors would like to thank you for protecting our residents’ rights by filing this action.
Thank you for your leadership on this very important issue. We wish you good luck on your efforts.
Sincerely,
Corey A. Stewart
Chairman
Attachment
Cc: Board of County Supervisors
County Attorney
County Executive
Virginia Congressional Delegation
Cucinelli’s going to need more then luck to win an unwinnable case. I applaud Pete for standing up to the Republican fringe, which is becoming all too common place throughout the Commonwealth, and being the voice of sensibility and fiscal responsibility on behalf of all Prince William residents.
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