Gainer Broke Ethics Rules?

The Charleston Gazette reported today that Gainer clearly violated ethics rules by endorsing Visa banking cards in corporate commercials last year. Visa has a $432 million purchasing contract with West Virginia according to the Gazette's reporting.

Gainer appeared in advertising videos for Visa online, which were viewable and promoted starting last summer. Since the ads ran during the General Election and showed campaign materials that stated "Elect Gainer Auditor", these could also represent an illegal corporate campaign contribution.

"It's never a surprise when we get word that career politicians are using their positions for personal gain," said West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Conrad Lucas.   "This is far from the first time Gainer has been ignorant of the rules or messed up on the job," said Lucas. "His office fell for an Internet scam a few years ago and sent more than $1.8 million to criminals in Kenya."

Gainers, a third-generation Charleston insider, was also one of West Virginia's earliest and strongest backers of Barack Obama.