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VA Governor to Return Gifts to Campaign Donor

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Gov. Bob McDonnell says he will return remaining gifts to himself and his family from a major campaign donor and businessman who lavished Virginia's first family with tens of thousands of dollars in gifts for years.

McDonnell also said Tuesday on his monthly radio call-in show on Washington's WTOP radio that he repaid nearly $125,000 in personal and business loans from Star Scientific chief executive Jonnie Williams last week. The loans were repaid with personal assets, loans and help from family members.

He said that his daughter, Jeanine McDonnell, has already returned an unspecified gift Williams gave her for her wedding this year.

He continued defending the gifts, however, citing the letter of Virginia's ethics law. He said he didn't disclose the gifts because it wasn't legally required.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.