Creigh Deeds Admits to Violating Ethics Rules

This speaks for itself:

Pressure to eliminate the rule in Virginia was sparked in part by Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath), who recently joined the law firm of Hirschler Fleischer P.C., a Richmond-based firm with a small lobbying presence. Without the proposed change, Deeds would be violating state ethics rules. (emphasis added)

Deeds, who describes himself as a small-town rural lawyer, said his losing bid for attorney general in 2005 made it nearly impossible to keep his small practice alive. His plans to run for governor in 2009 will require a more stable income, he said. But he said there will be a firewall between himself and the firm’s lobbyists.

“For me to be able to continue the political journey, I had to find some stability. I had to do something,” Deeds said in an interview this week. “If I thought I were doing anything unethical, I would step away from it.”

HELLOOOOOOO……..  The rules are still in place…..  State legislators are still prohibited from being employed alongside lobbyists under the rules currently in effect……  Let me repeat, “Without the proposed change, Deeds would be violating state ethics rules.”  The key word here is “proposed” as in “not yet in effect” or ”nothing has changed”.

And even though an opinion that could clear the way for him to practice in such a firm was issued in late January, he joined the firm in October.

Deeds said he joined the firm in October with the understanding that a request would be made to the state bar about the rule.

Not good enough.  And this man wanted to be our Attorney General?  Now he wants to be our Governor?  Nice way to start out a campaign with admitting to violating ethics rules.

Just say *NO* to the Creigh Deeds for Governor ’09 State Ethics Rule Change!!!

UPDATE:  Kilo Sparks It Up! has a round up of all the coverage on this under the heading Creigh Dirty Deeds — Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.  Meanwhile, the Virginia Leftosphere is so silent you can hear the crickets chirping.