VIDEO: Virginia Lawmaker Wins Re-election Despite Jail Term For Relationship With 17-Year-Old

Morrissey, 57, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge last month to avoid a possible felony conviction after an alleged sexual relationship with his underage secretary caught the attention of her father, and soon enough, law enforcement.

MintPress News Desk
By MintPress News Desk

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — It’s not every day that a politician with a county jail-issued ankle monitor accused of having sex with his 17-year-old secretary campaigns for re-election, and wins. But that’s exactly what happened Tuesday in the Richmond, Va., suburb of Henrico County, where Joseph Morrissey snagged 42 percent of the vote to win

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Virginia’s Strict Ballot Access Laws In Question

A legal challenge to Virginia’s ballot access law reflects concerns about the impartiality of the electoral system.

Frederick Reese
By Frederick Reese
Steve Maskell

During the 2012 presidential election season, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Rep. Ron Paul were the only candidates to appear on the Virginia Republican primary ballot, but the national primary race at the time also included Rep. Michele Bachmann, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, former Sen. Rick Santorum, and former Speaker of the

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The Pro-Israel Lobby And The Growth Of The Ultra-Conservative Movement

Americans increasingly view defending Israel as a matter of faith, and the people they’re voting to fill Congress with are eager to fulfill this perceived obligation.

Frederick Reese
By Frederick Reese
Jim Moran

Overwhelmingly, a pro-Israel attitude is becoming a prerequisite for federal elected office. According to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, in 2010, every new member of Congress had an established relationship with AIPAC staff and almost every freshman member of Congress had submitted to AIPAC a position paper on U.S. Middle East

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Va. Sheriff’s Office Holds Anti-Muslim Seminar

Though Virginia state officials washed their hands of the event, a county sheriff went ahead and held a conference hosted by a disgraced former FBI agent and well-known merchant of Islamic fear in America.

Les Neuhaus
By Les Neuhaus
John Guandolo

About 50 law enforcement personnel on Tuesday began an anti-Muslim seminar in rural Virginia headlined by controversial figure John Guandolo and hosted by the sheriff’s department. “Everything went smoothly,” Sheriff Scott Jenkins told The Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg, Va., of the event entitled “Understanding and Investigating Jihadi

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Judge: Va. Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional

In a federal court ruling echoing decisions reached elsewhere in the U.S., Virginia on Thursday became the first state in the South to overturn a voter-approved prohibition of same-sex marriage.

Associated Press
By Associated Press
Virginia Attorney General-elect Mark Herring smiles during a news conference at the Capitol in Richmond, Va. A federal judge ruled Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014 that Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, making it the first state in the South to have its voter-approved prohibition overturned. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — In a federal court ruling echoing decisions reached elsewhere in the U.S., Virginia on Thursday became the first state in the South to overturn a voter-approved prohibition of same-sex marriage. U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen issued a stay of her order while it is appealed, meaning that gay couples in Virginia still

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AG Urges Restoring Voting Rights To Ex-Inmates

Eleven states continue to restrict voting rights after a person has served a prison sentence and is no longer on probation or parole, the attorney general said at a symposium on the criminal justice system.

Associated Press
By Associated Press
United States Attorney Gen. Eric Holder speaks to the American Bar Association Annual Meeting Monday, Aug. 12, 2013, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday urged states to restore voting rights to former prison inmates, an issue he said primarily affects African-Americans. Eleven states continue to restrict voting rights after a person has served a prison sentence and is no longer on probation or parole, the attorney general said at a

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