Cuccinelli: Mike May deserves to be our next Commonwealth’s Attorney

As the former Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, I have worked with Commonwealth’s Attorneys throughout the state. And as a resident of Prince William County, I strongly support Mike May to be our next Commonwealth’s Attorney – our local prosecutor.

When considering the candidates for Commonwealth’s Attorney, the most important thing we should look for is a leader whose judgment we can trust. We need someone of even-handed temperament who will be firm, fair and transparent in all circumstances.

During his time as both a trial lawyer and public servant, Mike has demonstrated these qualities time and time again. He works at a respected Virginia Law Firm, where he represents clients in complex litigation, family, employment, and criminal matters. He has tried jury and bench trials and has been selected by his peers as among Virginia’s “Legal Elite” three times.

As a Member of the Board of Supervisors, Mike has earned our trust. He has fought to protect taxpayers. He worked with his colleagues to improve transparency; to protect our quality of life; and to ensure a safe community. Mike has not been afraid to stand up to the special interests and take the tough votes, and I know he will stand up to protect our families as our next Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Mike’s opponent has done some good things for our community during his 47 year tenure, but it’s clearly time for a change. When considering who we can trust as our next Commonwealth’s Attorney, it is fair to consider the public record of both candidates.

Although an experienced prosecutor, separate federal courts recently ruled that Mr. Ebert intentionally withheld exculpatory evidence (evidence supporting innocence) and choreographed witness testimony in the death penalty case of Justin Wolfe. In ruling on this case, Federal District Court Judge Jackson described Mr. Ebert’s conduct as “abhorrent to the judicial process” and overturned the conviction.

The Federal Appeals Court upheld the lower court ruling, finding that Mr. Ebert’s suppression of evidence was “entirely intentional” and called his explanations “flabbergasting.” These are factual findings by independent courts. Mr. Ebert has stated that he disagrees with the rulings, and that he is confident that the defendant in that case will be convicted on retrial once again. That may well be true. But even if another prosecutor convicts Justin Wolfe, that means that Mr. Ebert’s behavior would have gotten a murderer off the hook absent Wolfe’s retrial by another prosecutor – doing the job that Mr. Ebert should have done right in the first place.

Imagine the hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars that will have to be invested in re-doing something that could have been done properly the first time – not to mention the constitutional violations the courts found, which are perhaps more troubling. Mr. Ebert and his political circle also have a long and disturbing history of bringing or threatening criminal charges to damage political candidates with whom he disagrees or who dare to challenge Mr. Ebert’s friends and allies.

When it comes to deciding whether to prosecute someone in our community, politics should play no part, and while Paul Ebert has failed that test, I am confident that Mike May will decide every case on its own merits – ignoring politics, as he should. Mr. Ebert’s cases are part of the public record and you should review them yourself as you consider your choice.

After you review the backgrounds of both candidates, I hope you will join me in supporting Mike May for Commonwealth’s Attorney. Mike May will protect our neighborhoods and keep our families safe; he will modernize the office and make it more transparent; and, he will actively engage our community to enhance public safety and crime prevention. Mike May is a leader we can trust. It’s time for a fresh perspective, so please join me in voting for Mike May on November 3.

Ken Cuccinelli served as Attorney General of Virginia 2010-2014 and is a Prince William County resident.