NBC12 in Richmond, Virginia is reporting that Dr. Siobhan Dunnavant, the Republican candidate for Senate District 12 is under federal investigation for possible violation of doctor-patient confidentiality rules. The heart of the issue is whether letters sent by Dr. Dunnavant to her patient list informing them of her entry into the race were mailed by Dr. Dunnavant's own medical staff or by others. The letters were paid for by her political campaign committee. Patient confidentiality would be violated if anyone apart from her medical staff saw the patients' names and addresses. In addition, it's disturbing that the letters cross the ethical norms governing doctor-patient relations by soliciting help from patients for the campaign: volunteering, yard signs, and even money.
NBC12's story is here: http://tinyurl.com/...
Why does this story matter? In the first place, voter should know whether they are casting their vote for someone who, should she win, may not be able to finish her term.
A close second is the edge that this story may give to Dr. Dunnavant's Democratic opponent, Deborah Repp http://deborahrepp.ngpvanhost.com/.
We Democrats are in a pitched battle in Virginia to regain the majority in the state Senate. Senate District 12 is a tough race for us, but if we can win it, it'll mean one more vote for Medicaid expansion, one more vote for gun control legislation, one more vote protecting women's reproductive rights, one more vote for the environment and for education.