Governor Robert F. McDonnell, Executive Office-Counselor's Office, Records 2002-2003; 2006-2013 (bulk 2010-2013)

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

Collection is open to research.

Terms of access:

Confidential, privacy-protected and attorney-client privileged records are closed for 75 years per Code of Virginia, 2.2-3705.1, 2.2-3800 and 42.1-78. Restricted records in this collection have been sealed but not removed from the collection.

Preferred citation:

Records of the Executive Office-Counselor's Office, Governor Robert F. McDonnell, 2002-2003; 2006-2013 (bulk 2010-2013), Accession 51143, State Records Collection, Library of Virginia

Summary

Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Records of the Executive Office-Counselor's Office, Governor Robert F. McDonnell, 2002-2003; 2006-2013 (bulk 2010-2013), Accession 51143, State Records Collection, Library of Virginia

Background

Scope and content:

The Governor Robert F. McDonnell, Executive Office-Counselor's Office, Records are housed in 15 boxes. The collection is arranged into four (4) series. Series have been designated for: I. General Files of the Counselor to the Governor; II. Clemency Files; III. Judges; and IV. Attorney General Settlements. These records include agreements, reports, correspondence, e-mail, memorandums, legal briefs, legal files, budget documents, agendas, handouts, and meeting notes. This collection documents the actions of Governor McDonnell's Counselor's Office. Parts of series I and all of series II, III and IV are closed for 75 years per Code of Virginia, 2.2-3705.1 (attorney-client privilege).

The General Files of the Counselor to the Governor series is housed in five boxes and is arranged alphabetically by subject. This series contains the records of J. Jasen Eige, Counselor and Senior Advisor to the Governor (2010-2014). Beginning in June 2011, Eige also lead the Policy Office and his records reflect both of these roles. Also included are a small number of files created by Deputy Counselor Stephanie Hamlett (March-July 2010), Jeff Palmore (July 2011-September 2013) and Mark Rubin, former counselor to Governor Tim Kaine (2009-2010). Confidential, privacy-protected and attorney-client privileged records are closed for 75 years per Code of Virginia, 2.2-3705.1, 2.2-3800 and 42.1-78. Restricted records in this collection have been sealed but not removed from the collection.

Notable subjects include: the 2012 settlement agreement between the Commonwealth and United State Department of Justice to address the failure of the Commonwealth to provide services to individuals with intellectual disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs as required by the Americans Disabilities Act and US Supreme Court's Olmstead Decision; the development of the McDonnell administration pardon and restoration of rights procedures; Governor's Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring; legal challenges to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010; review of previous issued executive orders; plans and litigation related redistricting in Virginia after the 2010 census; amendments to the Comprehensive Infrastructure Agreement between the Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) and Northrup Grumman (NG); Republican Party of Virginia challenges to the petitions of the Libertarian Party and Constitution Party to be on the ballot for the 2012 presidential election; and settlement agreements between the Commonwealth and individuals injured and the estates of those killed at Virginia Tech on 16 April 2007.

The Clemency Files series is housed in 10 boxes. This series contains clemency petitions from prisoners submitted to the Governor. The clemency petitions usually include: petition from prisoner, constituent letters (for and against clemency), court documents and opinions, summary of the case provided by the Office of the Attorney General, and a memorandum to Governor McDonnell from Counselor to the Governor Jasen Eige, providing background information on the case, analysis of petition and conclusion/recommendation to Governor. Files are arranged alphabetically. This series also includes a few medical pardon applications and international prisoner requests.This series contains confidential, privacy-protected and attorney-client privileged records and is closed for 75 years per Code of Virginia, 2.2-3705.1, 2.2-3800 and 42.1-78.

Clemency records were submitted on behalf of: Mario Bustillo, Thomas Haynesworth, Jerry Jackson (executed 18 August 2011), Teresa Lewis (executed 23 September 2010), Johnathan Montgomery, Paul Powell (executed 18 March 2010), Davey Reedy, Jens Soering and Darick Walker (executed May 20, 2010).

The Judges series is housed in one folder.This series contains confidential and privacy-protected records and is closed for 75 years per Code of Virginia, 2.2-3705.1, 2.2-3800 and 42.1-78.

The Attorney General Settlement series is housed in one folder. This series contains copies of settlement agreements between individuals and state agencies requiring the approval of the Governor. The agreements usually include a request for settlement from the Attorney General (Ken Cuccinelli) which provides the background of the case, an approval of settlement letter from the Governor to the Attorney General, the settlement and other supporting documents. This series contains confidential, privacy-protected and attorney-client privileged records and is closed for 75 years per Code of Virginia, 2.2-3705.1, 2.2-3800 and 42.1-78.

Biographical / historical:

The Executive Office is a division of the Office of the Governor in the Executive Branch of Virginia state government. Members of the Executive Office include the Governor, Chief of Staff, Counselor to the Governor and their assistants. On 12 January 2010, Governor-elect Robert F. McDonnell appointed J. Jasen Eige as counselor and senior advisor to the governor. Eige's duties included providing legal counsel and advice to the Governor and his Administration, and assisting with policy and legislative matters. Governor McDonnell promoted Eige to counselor and senior policy advisor in June 2011. In this cabinet-level position, Eige oversaw the Governor's Policy Office, including the direction of the administration's policy and legislative efforts.

Jasen Eige first worked with Governor-elect Bob McDonnell in 1999 as an intern in his legislative office during law school. After law school, Eige clerked for the Honorable Glen M. Williams, Senior United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia. He then joined the Abingdon law firm of Penn, Stuart and Eskridge as an associate. In 2003 he and his wife, Christy, moved from Bristol, Virginia to Richmond to work in Attorney General Jerry Kilgore's Administration as an Assistant Attorney General in the Trial Section of the Civil Litigation Section. In 2006 he was promoted to Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Finance Law and Government Services Section, where he later served as Acting Section Chief for the Government Services portion of the Section. In this capacity, Eige directly managed attorneys and support staff for this Section and represented several state agencies including the Virginia State Board of Elections, Virginia Department of Agriculture, the Virginia Port Authority, the Virginia College Savings Fund, the Virginia Retirement System, the Virginia Department of Economic Development, and the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority.

In 2007, Eige began serving as Chief of Staff and Counsel to then-Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell. Among other duties, he oversaw the Administrative Division of the Office of the Attorney General including the Finance, Technology and Human Resource Departments. During this period, Eige assisted with achieving zero audit points for the last two years of the McDonnell Administration, and played a critical role in cutting the office budget by more than 19 percent, without layoffs. Eige also took over Deputy Attorney General responsibilities for the Financial Law and Government Services Division, overseeing attorneys and support staff in that Division. In 2009, Eige joined Governor-elect McDonnell's gubernatorial campaign as Chief Counsel. He currently serves as Counsel to the Governor-elect's Transition Office.

Eige earned his Juris Doctor and Masters in Public Policy degrees at Regent University, after attending King College in Bristol, Tennessee, where he received a Bachelors of Arts in political science and history. [Biography taken from Governor-elect McDonnell press release issued 12 January 2010.]

The Counselor was assisted in these responsibilities by a Deputy Counselor. The following individuals held this positions during Governor McDonnell's administration (2010-2014): Stephanie Hamlett (March-July 2010), J. Randall Minchew (August 2010-2011), and Jeff Palmore (July 2011-September 2013).

Acquisition information:
Office of the Governor, Patrick Henry Building, 1111 E. Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23219, accession 51143 transferred on 9 January 2014 and 23 January 2014.
Processing information:

Processing archivist imposed an alphabetical order within each series in 2022 given the absence of usable order.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into the following series:

  • I. General Files of the Counselor to the Governor, 2008-2013 (bulk 2010-2013)
  • II. Clemency Files, 2002-2003; 2006-2012 (bulk 2010-2012)
  • III. Judges, 2011-2012
  • IV. Attorney General Settlements, 2010-2011
Physical description:
8.5 cu. ft. (15 boxes)