Lawmaker Allegedly Flips State Legislature to GOP in Exchange for Job

Virginia State Senator Phillip P. Puckett (D) is expected to announce his resignation Monday, flipping control of the evenly-divided Senate to the GOP amidst of a gnarly budget negotiation, in what sources alleged is a quid pro quo for jobs for Puckett and his daughter. According to the Washington Post, Puckett expects to be appointed deputy director of the state tobacco commission and his daughter to be approved to a judgeship and himself.

The budget battle has become charged over Governor Terry McAuliffe’s (D) plan to expand Medicaid.

GOP lawmakers denied that Puckett was offered the jobs in exchange for his resignation. Democrats, however, wasted no time making that charge.

“It’s astounding to me,” one fellow Democrat said. “The House Republican caucus will do anything and everything to prevent low-income Virginians from getting health care. …They figure the only way they could win was to give a job to a state senator.”

McAuliffe stopped short of accusing Puckett of shenanigans, but conceded that the change in power in the upper chamber created “uncertainty” for his proposed Medicaid policy.

UPDATE – June 9, 2:04 p.m. ET: That was quick. Amid the above criticism, Puckett has withdrawn his name from consideration for the tobacco commission post.

Watch a segment on the resignation below, via WTVR:

[h/t Washington Post]

[Image via screengrab]

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