Gov. Terry McAuliffe talked to the press Tuesday morning about the breaking news he was under FBI investigation for accepting shady foreign campaign donations, particularly the $120,000 he received from a Chinese businessman, Wang Wenliang.
U.S. election law prohibits foreign nationals from donating to federal, state or local elections, CNN explains. Yet, Wang may be exonerated by the fact he has permanent resident status in the U.S.
McAuliffe said he was “shocked” by the news. Yet, he’s “very confident” Wenliang had been vetted by legal teams and the investigation will come to nothing.
The governor’s attorney, moreover, released a statement insisting the donations from Wenlaing were “completely lawful.”
Reporters then questioned McAuliffe about his relationship to the Clintons, particularly his position as a board member for the Clinton Foundation. But, he insisted he was “proud” to be a part of the foundation’s efforts and that the investigation has “nothing to do” with the foundation.
“We travel in the same circles,” he said in regards to his relationship to Hillary Clinton. “We have a lot of the same friends.”
McAuliffe, however, just held a fundraiser for the presidential candidate over the weekend.
News of the McAuliffe probe comes one day after he held a high-dollar fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. https://t.co/eGAm8QKdUK (h/t @jeneps)
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) May 23, 2016
Is this investigation a bigger deal than McAuliffe’s composed reaction suggests?