Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on US DOT Inspector General Final Report on MWAA Governance

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement regarding the US DOT Inspector General's Final Report on Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Governance released earlier today. This report, requested by Congressman Frank Wolf, comes on the heels of the May 15, 2012, interim report which identified numerous areas of concern regarding the policies and practices of the MWAA Board of Directors. The Final Report is entitled: "MWAA's Weak Policies and Procedures have lead to Questionable Procurement Practices, Mismanagement, and a Lack of Overall Accountability".

"First, I would like to thank U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Congressman Frank Wolf for their leadership and efforts to address governance issues at MWAA. Dulles International Airport and Reagan National Airport are two of the Commonwealth's most important economic assets, and the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Extension Project is one of the largest and most expensive transportation infrastructure projects in the country. The airports and the project are all located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and most of the funding for Phase II of the Dulles Rail Project is coming from Virginia taxpayers.

Unfortunately, actions on the part of certain members of the MWAA Board of Directors, a general lack of transparency and accountability, and employee misconduct have jeopardized the public's confidence in the Authority's ability to ethically manage its critical assets and complete the Dulles Rail Project. The concerns that I have expressed over the past two years are, unfortunately, validated by the US DOT Inspector General. The Final Reports title says it all: "MWAA's weak policies and procedures have lead to questionable procurement practices, mismanagement, and a lack of overall accountability." MWAA must change now.

Today's Final Report confirms that reforms currently underway must be implemented as soon as possible. The Final Report makes further recommendations which I fully support. I recently announced the appointment of five new Virginia members to the Board. Three of the individuals have been seated, and the remaining two will join the Board in November. The appointment of these service-minded, ethical individuals, combined with the progress we have made to date on reforms, present a tremendous opportunity for the MWAA Board to usher in a new era of leadership and governance. Much has been done but much more must be done. I and my Administration pledge to work with the new MWAA Board and our federal, state and local partners to achieve this goal."

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