Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis

Member of the Virginia State Senate
State Senatorial District:	34
Political Affiliation:	Republican
Assumed Office	2004

Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis (born 1956-02-28 in Swindon, England) is a State Senator in the Commonwealth of Virginia (R-34) who represents ( Fairfax City and a portion of Fairfax County including Vienna, Oakton, and part of Burke.) ^[1]

Contents 1 Personal 2 Donors 3 Affiliations 4 State House of Delegates 5 State Senate 5.1 Voting record 5.2 Endorsements 6 Campaign finance references 7 ICG Government 8 Notes 9 Other references

[edit] Personal

She graduated Yorktown HS , in Arlington, VA (1974) ^[2] and the University of Virginia (1978) where she majored in Mathematics. She and Rep. Thomas M. Davis (R-VA-11) were married in 2004. It was the second marriage for both. ^[3] She has four children from her previous marriage to John Devolites (Nichole, Ashley, Cassandra, and Alexandra) and three step-children.

Her daughter Ashley made headlines in 2002 when she was sentenced to nine years in Federal Prison for taking part in an interstate armed robbery spree.

Currently her and Tom Davis live in Vienna, VA. ^[4]

[edit] Donors

A large percentage of her financial support is contributed from her husband, Tom Davis, and the Republican organizations he directs. Prior to the beginning of the current 2007 Virginia election cycle, his PACS have donated more than $172,000 to her campaign. In addition, she has received contributions from National Republican organizations directed by Mr. Davis including $300,000 to the Fairfax and Prince William's counties Republican Party committees, who in turn donated money and office space to Mrs. Davis; $55,616 from the National Republican Congressional Committee when her husband was Chair,$5,000 from the Republican Main Stream Partnership, and $5,000 from Tom Delay's ARMPAC.

According to the Washington Post "In the past five years, technology and telecommunications companies have been the largest contributors to Davis's and his wife's separate campaigns and political action committees. Those companies and their employees have donated more than $1.1 million of the $6.4 million given to the couple's campaigns, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics and the Virginia Public Access Project." Washington Post.

[edit] Affiliations

Senator Devolites-Davis works as a technology consultant for ICG government, a position that has raised potential conflicts of interest. Previously, she worked as a statistical consultant to the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld. ^[5]She is a partner in a technology consulting and lobbying firm, ^[6]

She participates in the following organizations: ^[7] She is on the Board of Directors of Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts, Homeaid, and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA); Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Virginia International University; Member and Past President, Tysons Corner Rotary. She is a member of Tysons Vienna Regional Chamber of Commerce, Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, Oakton Women's Club, New Providence Republican Women's Club, American Legislative Exchange Council and National Conference of State Legislatures, and is an Honorary Member of the Alzheimers Family Day Center Board.

[edit] State House of Delegates

Jeannemarie Devolites lost her first race for the Virginia House of Delegates. In 1998, with Tom Davis as her mentor and chief donor she won her race for member of the House of Delegates. She was elected to become the House Majority Whip, the first woman ever to serve this position, before being elected to the State Senate, .

[edit] State Senate

She is now finishing her first term in the State Senate and is running for reelection. Her district is the most Democratic district held by a Republican in Virginia. Davis is running for reelection in 2007. Her Democratic challenger is Democrat and former Delegate Chap Petersen, whose district is enclaved in the 37th Senatorial District. Her top donor continues to be her husband's Political Action Committee (PAC), the Federal Victory Fund, donating almost $25,000. Tom Davis's other PAC, the Va Victory Fund, had also donated over $92,000 in her House races. Mrs. Davis also received another $55,616 from the National Republican Congressional Committee when her husband was the Committee Chair. This RNCC donation is the most donated to any VA candidate not running statewide.

[edit] Voting record

On evaluations from Project Vote Smart, on a scale of 100, examples of the latest rankings for Devolites-Davis include scores of near zero from the Virginia National Organization for Women and all reporting reproductive rights groups, 80% from the Chamber of Commerce, and a 94% from the conservative Family Foundation of Virginia.

[edit] Endorsements

In her 2003 election campaign, she listed the following endorsements: ^[8]

• Fairfax Education Association,
• Virginia Education Association,
• Professional Firefighters,
• Fraternal Order of Police,
• RENEW,
• Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce,
• Northern Virginia Technology Council

[edit] Campaign finance references

VPAP:donors to Jeanemarie Devolities Davis

VPAP:VA Donors to Tom Davis Virginia Victory Fund

VPAP:Tom Davis Leadership Committees

[edit] ICG Government

She was one of the first hires (as a part-time consultant) for ICG, a firm that assists businesses in obtaining government contracts. At the time of her hire, Congressman Davis was her mentor and campaign manager. ICG Founder and President Don Upson is a longtime friend of Davis. After Devolites was hired by ICG, Davis, then divorced, married Devolites.

On 2006-07-28 the Washington Post reported that the Defense Information Systems Agency had reviewed its satellite contract with Artel, Inc., and the agency had preliminarily determined that the contract was ineffective and expensive. Artel then hired ICG for lobbying services. ICG drafted a letter Congressman Davis signed to the agency threatening an investigation by his Committee if the contract was not awarded. After the Post articles appeared, Congressman Davis sought an opinion from the House Ethics Committee. They advised him to be careful to avoid the appearance of any conflict in this matter. The Post published an extensive article on the issue, the company had to register as a lobbyist, and ICG removed a picture from the front page of its website of Tom Davis speaking to ICG clients.^[9][10] Jeannemarie continues to work for ICG and was paid $78,000 in 2005 for working "10 to 20 hours a week," primarily at home on her cellphone, she said. Her bio continues as the only one on the ICG site to name her spouse. She makes $18,000 a year as a Virginia legislator.

The same Post writers ^{[11] [12]} are continuing the investigation of lax and nonexistent oversight of contractors and their lobbying, in November ^[13] and December 2006.^{[14] [15] [16]}

[edit] Notes

[edit] Other references

• Senate of Virginia official webpage, 2007

• Legislation 2007 General Assembly (chief patron)
• Legislation 2007 General Assembly (co-patron)

• Legislation 2006 General Assembly (chief patron)
• Legislation 2006 General Assembly (co-patron)

• Legislation 2005 General Assembly (chief patron)
• Legislation 2005 General Assembly (co-patron)

• Legislation 2004 General Assembly (chief patron)
• Legislation 2004 General Assembly (co-patron)

• Legislation 2003 General Assembly (chief patron)
• Legislation 2003 General Assembly (co-patron)

• Legislation 2002 General Assembly (chief patron)
• Legislation 2002 General Assembly (co-patron)

• Campaign website
• Project Vote Smart profile