The gifts often leave Virginia lawmakers with mixed emotions. Although the presents represent a nice benefit for service to the state, legislators must wrestle with the appearance that special interests are buying favors at the Capitol. B efore the session begins, each legislator must file a Statement of Economic Interests, disclosing income sources, stock holdings and gifts. Not all 140 legislators share in the bounty. Ten legislators said they did not receive any gifts last year.
Gifts tend to go to members of the party in power and especially to lawmakers with clout.
That trend is evident with Republicans in control of the Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates. Under Virginia law, legislators may accept unlimited gifts and campaign contributions as long as they report this information on forms open to the public. Fowler said he had never heard of lawmakers voting a certain way because of the money or gifts they had received. But government watchdog groups say expensive gifts, like big campaign donations, are meant to curry favor with legislators. But Houston said that view on gifts may be too charitable toward legislators.