Shenandoah Valley News

Congressman Ben Cline has called for an ethics investigation following reports of political coercion involving members of the Virginia General Assembly and the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Board. The allegations suggest that lawmakers threatened to withhold funding unless the VMI superintendent's contract was extended, a move described by Cline as "an outright abuse of power."

Cline expressed concern over the influence exerted on VMI’s governance, emphasizing that board members should operate without political interference. "The idea that members of the General Assembly would use their positions of power to intimidate VMI Board members by conditioning funding on the extension of the superintendent’s contract is not just inappropriate, it is an outright abuse of power," he stated.

A letter from Congressman Cline included a report from a VMI Board member who quoted Senator Jennifer Carroll-Foy. She allegedly remarked, “I am just trying to help VMI. Cedric is African American. The leadership of the General Assembly is African American. Your board appointments and budget amendments are in peril. You can fix this by giving Cedric a four-year contract extension.”

Cline criticized these comments as inconsistent with national values and indicative of undue influence being exerted on VMI's decision-making process in exchange for funding priorities.

The congressman demands accountability and has urged for an ethics investigation into what he terms an "outrageous abuse of power." He pledges to support VMI against any form of political intimidation to preserve its mission.