April 11, 2013 Jack Smith Chief, Public Integrity Section United States Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Dear Mr. Smith, In order to restore public trust and assure the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia that their best interests are being represented, I write to ask you and your office to conduct an investigation into the relationship between Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, and the company Star Scientific and its Chief Executive Officer Jonnie R. Williams Sr. Serious questions have been raised by a sizeable payment, some $15,000, made by Mr. Williams to pay for the costs of catering at Governor McConnell's daughter's wedding, a "gift" which was not reported by the Governor, which could be a violation of Virginia law. Moreover, Governor McDonnell and his family have taken actions on behalf of Mr. Williams's company, raising the question of a quid pro quo being involved. As more revelations of his direct involvement have become known, the Governor's explanation of these events has changed. For instance, a Washington Post story from April 9, 2013 shows Governor McDonnell may have had prior knowledge and involvement in the transaction. Furthermore, it has come to light that Mr. Cuccinelli failed to disclose that he owns stock in Star Scientific and has accepted gifts from Mr. Williams. Until recent press scrutiny, Mr. Cuccinelli had refused to recuse himself in a case involving the Commonwealth of Virginia against Star Scientific over a $700,000 tax assessment. Mr. Cuccinelli's claims that he was unaware he held as much as $10,000 in shares in Star Scientific also raises questions. Due to the high positions these individuals hold in Virginia State Government, I am asking for an outside and independent investigation so the public can be assured the investigation is free of political influence and focused on the sole purpose of determining whether any laws have been broken or if public policy has been unduly influenced as a result of the relationship between these public officials and this corporation. I appreciate your timely response on this matter. Sincerely, Mark Herring