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May 25, 2013 | 06:44 AM
steve contorno
Washington D.C. weather

Steve Contorno

Staff writer - Virginia politics

Steve Contorno is the Virginia political correspondent for The Washington Examiner, covering state government and campaigns in a key battleground state. He joined the Examiner in 2011 after covering state politics and local government for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, winning statewide reporting awards. Prior to that, he interned for the Chicago Sun-Times in its statehouse bureau. Contorno holds a bachelor's degree in News-Editorial Journalism from the University of Illinois where he toiled at The Daily Illini for four years, and has a master's in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois-Springfield.
  • Ken Cuccinelli recuses himself from case involving Virginia governor's chef

    Steve Contorno

    Published: Wed, Apr 24, 2013

    Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli recused himself Wednesday from a state legal case against a former executive mansion chef facing charges of embezzlement. Todd Schneider, who ran the kitchen at the governor's residence from 2010 to 2012, is charged with four counts of taking state...

  • Cuccinelli recuses himself from case involving Virginia governor's chef

    Steve Contorno

    Published: Wed, Apr 24, 2013

    Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli recused himself Wednesday from a state legal case against a former executive mansion chef who is facing charges of embezzlement. Todd Schneider, who ran the kitchen at the governor's residence from 2010 to 2012, is charged with four counts of taking...

  • Terry McAuliffe gets 78% of campaign cash from outside Virginia

    Steve Contorno

    Published: Tue, Apr 23, 2013

    Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe boasted recently that 72 percent of his campaign contributors are Virginians, a distinction that helps shed an image that his ties to the state are shallow. But campaign finance reports show nearly $4 of every $5 McAuliffe raised actually came...

  • Terry McAuliffe releases income tax info

    Steve Contorno

    Published: Tue, Apr 23, 2013

    Democrat gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe on Tuesday released summaries of his income tax returns for three years in hopes of blunting criticisms from his Republican opponent for governor, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, that he has something to hide. Cuccinelli, who let reporters view...

  • Democrats demand outside investigation into Cuccinelli, McDonnell

    Steve Contorno

    Published: Mon, Apr 22, 2013

    Virginia Democrats said Monday that Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli should appoint an outside investigator to determine whether he properly disclosed his relationship with a Henrico-based supplement maker. The Washington Examiner reported Sunday that state law puts Cuccinelli in...

  • Cuccinelli sees no need to investigate his own possible conflict

    Steve Contorno

    Updated: Sat, Apr 20, 2013

    Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and Gov. Bob McDonnell face on-going scrutiny over their financial and personal relationships with a company embroiled in a state lawsuit, but have so far avoided any official legal action. If there were an investigation into their finances, it would...

  • Ken Cuccinelli to release 8 years of tax returns in Virginia governor's race

    Steve Contorno

    Published: Wed, Apr 17, 2013

    Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican running for governor, will make his tax returns public Thursday and he is pressuring Democratic opponent Terry McAuliffe to do the same. In a rare move for a gubernatorial candidate in Virginia, Cuccinelli will allow reporters to view...

  • Women's group emerges to boost Ken Cuccinelli's campaign in Virginia

    Steve Contorno

    Updated: Wed, Apr 17, 2013

    As Democrats ramp up attacks on Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's record on women's health issues, anti-abortion advocates hope to combat the negativity with a new group: Women For Ken. The Susan B. Anthony List, which has already pledged $1.5 million to help Cuccinelli's...

  • Outside groups pumping cash into Virginia governor's race

    Steve Contorno

    Published: Tue, Apr 16, 2013

    Outside interest groups are already picking sides in Virginia's governor race and lining the pockets of Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Ken Cuccinelli with plenty of cash to help win what is shaping up to be one of the state's most costly elections. There are no limits on how much...

  • Terry McAuliffe doubles Ken Cuccinelli's fundraising haul in Virginia

    Steve Contorno

    Published: Mon, Apr 15, 2013

    Democrat Terry McAuliffe raised twice as much money as Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in the first three months of 2013, giving him a significant cash advantage in what is expected to be an expensive, hard fought race for Virginia governor. Campaign finance reports released ahead...