RGA Statement on Terry McAuliffe & GreenTech

Politico reported this afternoon that Terry McAuliffe stepped down as chairman of GreenTech Automotive in December without any public notification and continued to point to his involvement with the car company as the basis of his gubernatorial campaign.

“This afternoon the entire foundation of Terry McAuliffe’s campaign came crumbling down.  For months, McAuliffe misled Virginia voters about his involvement with GreenTech and the company’s business dealings.” said RGA Executive Director Phil Cox. “Now voters know the truth. Terry McAuliffe cannot be trusted to be governor.”

As a reminder:

• New York Times July 2012: “Unsaid was that he also hoped it [GreenTech] would reinvent Terry McAuliffe as he approaches his own probable run for governor of Virginia in 2013 — something he tried in 2009, losing in the primary to a relative political unknown named Creigh Deeds. GreenTech could be the vehicle, so to speak, for McAuliffe to escape his lane as a political rainmaker, carnival barker and Clinton appendage and reposition himself as ‘a Virginia businessman fighting for Democratic causes and creating jobs,’ as his Web site says.”

• On December 5, McAuliffe spoke as if he still held a leadership role with GreenTech and blamed Virginia’s economic development officials – and implicitly the McDonnell administration – as the reason why GreenTech opened a manufacturing plant in Mississippi instead of Virginia.

• On December 6, NBC News reported that GreenTech’s attempt to get incentives occurred during Democrat Tim Kaine’s administration and the company never even finished the application process.

• On December 14, the Associated Press referred to McAuliffe as “chairman of GreenTech Automotive” in an in-depth expose revealing many claims made by McAuliffe about his business experience in Virginia with GreenTech were not true.

• This week, GreenTech’s business operations drew scrutiny for its reliance on a controversial funding scheme.

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