A series of revelations and stinging media reports about Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell’s relationship with a corporate executive is bringing new attention to the state’s forgiving accountability laws—a subject highlighted last year by the State Integrity Investigation.

The root of the uproar is a $15,000 catering tab for the wedding of McDonnell’s daughter back in 2011, quietly paid by Jonnie Williams Sr., the CEO of Star Scientific, a Glen Allen, Va.-based dietary supplement company. Now the news, first reported in late March by the Washington Post, is dominating conversation in the state’s political circles   and raising questions about Virginia’s liberal allowances for gifts to politicians: there is no limit.

State Integrity news for Maryland and Virginia from SII partner WAMU:

If "sunlight is the best of disinfectants," as former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once wrote, local lawmakers may need a refresher on the importance of government transparency. The State Integrity Investigation gave failing grades to both Maryland and Virginia when it came to the public's access to information.

Maryland ranked 46th out of 50 states and Virginia ranked 49th. While the District was not included in the survey, the mayor's administration faced sharp criticism this summer when it proposed weakening D.C.'s public records laws and broadening the range of documents that may be exempt from disclosure.

Read and hear more from SII partner WAMU - Washington, D.C.

State Integrity news for Virginia from SII partner WAMU:

When does confidentiality trump the public's right to know? Virginia received an "F" in a State Integrity Investigation analysis of all 50 state's laws and practices related to government transparency and corruption. Transparency advocates want greater public access to police records, while law enforcement officials worry making case files public could endanger victims and witnesses.

Listen to the discussion from WAMU - Washington, DC.

State Integrity news for Virginia from SII partner WAMU:

Virginia was given a failing grade this spring by the State Integrity Investigation. Since that time, Virginia Press Association president Ginger Stanley has been in Richmond pushing for more access.

"The General Assembly has been very reluctant to ever see the access community's side of it," says Stanley.

Among the issues in Virginia: The state allows police to shield complaints, memoranda, correspondence, case files, reports and witness statements in all cases, regardless of what the case is about, and regardless of whether a case is open or closed.

Read and hear more from WAMU - Washington, D.C.

State Integrity news for Virginia from SII partner WAMU:

Across Virginia, there's almost no detail provided about crime that happens every day. From petty larceny to murder, state police officials routinely deny access to basic documents, such as incident reports.

Earlier this year, a state integrity investigation ranked and graded each of the 50 states on government accountability, transparency and corruption. Virginia got an F.

Lucy Dalglish, of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, says the police are abusing an exemption clause in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

Read and hear more from WAMU - Washington, DC.

Early last month, lawmakers in Iowa completed work on a new open records statute. Senate File 430 creates the Iowa Public Information Board, a nine-member commission charged with enforcing the state’s open records and meetings laws.

For good government advocates in the Hawkeye State, the new legislation was cause for celebration — sort of.

Indeed, there were smiles all around as Gov. Terry Branstad signed the law on May 3 in the ornate Capitol Building, surrounded by lawmakers and journalists — many of whom spent six years on the effort. And the law is undoubtedly a victory of sorts for open government in the state, where enforcement was spotty at best, divided among several local and state entities. If a citizen’s request for information was denied, the only option was to sue — a time-consuming and costly course of action. Now, the Board can investigate complaints and bring them to court on citizens’ behalf.

It all sounds good — except for the fine print.

State integrity news for Virginia, from WHRV:

In a country-wide investigation into each state’s vulnerability to corruption, Virginia ranked in the bottom four.

The State Integrity Investigation, a joint project by The Center for Public Integrity and Public Radio International, cited issues such as "public access to information," "lobbying disclosure," and "judicial accountability" as a few of the deciding factors in the Commonwealth’s failing grade.

Listen to the discussion at WHRV.

By Megan Rhyne, Virginia Coalition for Open Government

Last Thursday I spent my morning with a group of government employees -- 60 of them from all over Virginia, in both local and state government -- whose job it is to manage their agency’s records, to respond to requests under Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act, or both.

They were there to learn tips, techniques and strategies for better records management. The theory is that the better shape your records are in, the easier it will be to manage FOIA requests. A records analyst from the Library of Virginia helped them understand retention, archiving and proper destruction of public records. A city’s deputy communication director talked about how an agency can implement a citizen-centric FOIA-response policy. The director of the state agency tasked with informally mediating FOIA disputes talked about how even email on private computers is subject to FOIA if it has to do with the public’s business.

They were all there because of me. I’m not in government. Never have been.

State integrity news for Virginia, from the Washington Post:

The State Integrity Investigation, a collaboration of the Center for Public Integrity, Public Radio International and Global Integrity, rated Virginia “F” for transparency, along with seven other states, including North Dakota, Michigan, South Carolina, Maine, Wyoming, South Dakota and Georgia. Five states rated highest, including New Jersey and California.

It seems the concept of government openness is still a new one to the McDonnell administration.

Read the rest of the story at the Washington Post.

State Integrity news for Virginia and Maryland from SII partner WAMU:

A new investigative report finds Maryland and Virginia have high risks of public corruption. The State Integrity Investigation is out today, and both Virginia and Maryland fared poorly -- especially the commonwealth, which earned a failing grade.

With no limit on how much donors can give to candidates, no statewide ethics commission, and an oversight structure filled with loopholes wider than the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia earned an F in the just-released State Integrity Investigation report card. The reviews provide an in-depth report on each state, based on 300 indicators of accountability, transparency, and corruption risk.

Hear the story from WAMU - Washington, D.C.