Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Says Daughter Returned $15,000 Wedding Gift

by William Callahan

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnellannounced Wednesday that his daughter had repaid a $15,000 wedding gift from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams, a key factor in the gift scandal surrounding the governor’s office.

The Richmond Times Dispatch reports McDonnell told the media Wednesday his daughter Cailin had given back the $15,000 from Williams for the catering bill at her wedding in 2011.

The announcement came a day after the governor told WTOP Radio on Tuesday that he and his family intended to return the gifts Williams had given them, hoping to put an end to a scandal that has cast a shadow over his final months in office.

During the radio interview, McDonnell said that his eldest daughter, Jeanine, had also given back a $10,000 gift related to her own wedding from Williams.

“My eldest daughter returned her engagement gift and my daughter Cailin has returned her wedding gift,” McDonnell said Wednesday in Richmond.

• See also: Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Apologizes, Returns $120,000 in Loans to Jonnie Williams

This is the latest in a series of announcements from the governor that he and his family have returned thousands of dollars in gifts and loans to Williams.

The governor said last week that his family had returned more than $120,000 in loans to Williams – a loan of $50,000 to first lady Maureen McDonnell and a $70,000 loan to the real estate company owned by the governor and his sister.

McDonnell has publicly apologized for the controversy and the “embarrassment” it’s brought to his home state, releasing a statement last week while abroad visiting troops in Afghanistan.

• See also: McDonnell's Apology: Is It Enough?

But he maintains he has done nothing wrong.

Virginia laws mandate that elected officials must disclose any gift more than $50, but the law doesn’t apply to immediate family members.

• See also: Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Says He Will Return Gifts