Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell announced a number of appointments Friday, including J. Randall Minchew as Deputy Counselor and Advisor to the Governor and Jeffrey S. Palmore as Deputy Counselor.
Minchew is the managing shareholder of the Loudoun County office of Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, Emrich, and Walsh, PC, a law firm that also has offices in Arlington and Prince William counties.
Palmore worked as Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs for McDonnell when he was attorney general, and also worked on his 2009 gubernatorial campaign. He also served as a law clerk for Judge Henry E. Hudson, who recently ruled to allow Virginia’ lawsuit over federal health care to proceed.
McDonnell also appointed Glendell Hill, the Prince William County Sheriff, to the Secure Commonwealth Panel.
Interesting timing for the announcement — the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office is one of a handful of law enforcement departments in the state that partner with the Department of Homeland Security in an agreement that allows local law enforcement officials to enforce certain federal immigration laws.
This week, McDonnell formally requested for state police to be given such authority through the program, known as 287(g), in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
