WASHINGTON – Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican candidate for governor, wants a special session of the General Assembly to deal with the state’s ethics laws.

He says he wants to repair what he calls the “severe holes” in the state’s ethics laws. Those holes have been evidence during the gift scandal that has embroiled Gov. Bob McDonnell.

McDonnell has already indicated he doesn’t plan to call a special session.

The Democrats have already called Cuccinelli’s efforts a distraction from his own ethics issues, which include gifts he took from Jonnie Williams, the same businessman involved in the governor’s scandal.

“Ken Cuccinelli asking for a special session on ethics is like Alex Rodriguez asking Major League Baseball to get steroids out of the game,” says Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Brian Coy.

Follow @WTOP on Twitter.