RICHMOND, Va. (Legal Newsline) -- Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who also is running for governor, reportedly has been cleared in an ethics probe over gifts he received from the head of a dietary supplement company.
According to a report released Thursday, Cuccinelli did not violate any state laws by not making the disclosures until a few months ago.
"Although one cannot help but question whether repeated omissions of gifts from (Jonnie) Williams (Sr.) are coincidence or a pattern reflecting intent to conceal, the disclosure of several gifts and benefits from Williams in original statements suggests that the Attorney General was not attempting to conceal the relationship," Richmond Commonwealth Attorney Mike Herring wrote in the report, according to Reuters.
Cuccinelli updated his disclosures in April for 2009-12 to reflect gifts he received from Williams, the head of Star Scientific Inc.
Cuccinelli also had failed to disclose -- for nearly a year -- that he purchased stock holdings in the former tobacco company.
The attorney general's stock purchase in Star Scientific came two months after the company filed a lawsuit against the state in 2011.
Cuccinelli has said he didn't disclose his interest because he didn't realize his holdings exceeded the $10,000 mark.
"Our investigation finds no evidence that the Attorney General in any way promoted, supported or assisted Star Scientific while he had a financial interest in the company," the report states, according to Reuters.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at jessica@legalnewsline.com.