RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe is planning a news conference to address ethics reform in Virginia state government. The governor has scheduled the event for Thursday morning at the Capitol. Public officials from both political parties have pledged to strengthen the state’s ethics laws following the conviction of former Gov. Bob McDonnell. A jury found McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, guilty earlier this month of several corruption charges after they accepted more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from former Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams in exchange for promoting his company’s dietary supplements.
