Details are sparse, but CNN is reporting that the FBI and prosecutors from the Justice Department are scrutinizing donations made to McAuliffe’s gubernatorial campaign by a Chinese businessman via his U.S. companies. It is against U.S. election regulations for foreign nationals to donate to state elections, but a spokeswoman for the businessman, Wang Wenliang, says he has permanent resident status, which would make his donations legal.
This news rounds out a rough day for McAuliffe. Earlier today the GOP sued him in the Supreme Court of Virginia to block his executive order restoring voting rights to 200,000 former felons. It also caps a rough few years for Virginia governors: The previous one, the Republican Bob McDonnell, was convicted of public corruption and sentenced to two years in prison, although the Supreme Court is reviewing his case.