Following up on a story we've been following, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) tried to turn the corner on his corruption scandal by returning the gifts he'd received from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams. But a related problem lingered: why didn't state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican who hopes to replace McDonnell, do the same?
A month ago, the far-right candidate said he couldn't return the $18,000 in gifts he received from Williams because he didn't have $18,000. Apparently, however, as his campaign struggles, Cuccinelli came up with the cash -- and released a new video to brag about it (thanks to my colleague Laura Conaway for the tip). For those who can't watch clips online:
"[I]n recent days, I've managed to send a check of over $18,000 to a Richmond-based charity. I did this to resolve any questions surrounding the matter concerning Star Scientific. I made the decision because it's the right thing to do, plain and simple. This is something I would have liked to have done sooner, but like most Virginians, writing a check for more than $18,000 is not a simple matter for my family and me. It's taken a while to get our funds together."For those who've been disappointed in this situation or how I've handled it, I apologize. It's been a humbling set of lessons for me. In the remaining weeks of my campaign, I intend to focus on what I've done and what I intend to do for the people of Virginia."
One assumes Cuccinelli was tired of having this issue drag him down the last several weeks, and today's announcement is no doubt intended to end the controversy.
But questions remain. Which charity received the $18,000? How did Cuccinelli suddenly come up with the money he said he didn't have?
And perhaps most importantly, what's all that stuff on his microwave? This, of course, is the question Maddow Blog readers can help with.
A couple of years ago, Team Maddow became fascinated with the kitchen canisters featured in a Sharron Angle campaign video. They even made an appearance on the show.
At the time, eagle-eyed readers/viewers helped us track down those canisters. Now we're hoping you're ready to help again.
What's all that stuff behind Cuccinelli? We don't mean the bananas visible in the first second; we mean all that other stuff visible 17 seconds in. Feel free to let us know in comments.