Terry McAuliffe on talking to the Clintons: ‘Even if I had, I wouldn’t tell you’

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe talks to the Clintons all the time. They’re close. They’re friends.

But he’s not going to share their conversations with you.

WTOP interviewed the governor about the FBI and Department of Justice investigating his 2013 campaign contributions, particularly a $120,000 contribution from Chinese businessman Wang Wenliang. Wenliang has a green card and a permanent residency within the U.S. and can therefore legally donate to campaigns, McAuliffe said.

“He was fully vetted,” McAuliffe said, adding later, “I don’t understand the issue, to be honest with you.”

McAuliffe also said he was “baffled” that the information was leaked from the Department of Justice, but that his lawyers called the department and established investigators had found no evidence of any wrongdoing.

The investigation also reportedly looked into McAuliffe’s personal finances and his connections to the Clinton Global Initiative. When a radio show host asked if McAuliffe had spoken to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton or former President Bill Clinton about the investigation, he was less than forthcoming.

“Even if I had, I wouldn’t tell you,” he said, adding that he talks to the Clintons “all the time.”

McAuliffe also said he had spent little to no time with Wang Wenliang, who previously worked for the Chinese government.

“I wouldn’t know this man if he sat in a chair next to me,” McAuliffe said.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Terry McAuliffe on talking to the Clintons: ‘Even if I had, I wouldn’t tell you’."