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We’re working on an editorial for next week discussing the latest turn in the increasingly bizarre U.S. Navy Veterans Association saga. Ohio authorities say that Bobby Thompson, the only one of 85 officers listed on the charity’s website that a Florida newspaper could actually locate, isn’t actually Bobby Thompson, but the perpetrator of an ID theft.

Let’s go back to the very beginning of this story, at least in Virginia: The man known as Bobby Thompson made some contributions to several Virginia politicians in 2009. Then during the 2010 General Assembly session, a Washington, D.C., lobbyist representing Thompson approached those legislators to see about changing the state law regarding which charities must register with the state before soliciting for money.

For some reason, U.S. Navy Vets didn’t want to register. Ahem.

Long story short, the law got passed. By the time Sen. Patsy Ticer, D-Alexandria, the sponsor of the legislation, was made aware of suspicions about U.S. Navy Vets, the bill was already in a stack to be signed by the Gov. Bob McDonnell. Ticer asked McDonnell’s office to veto the bill, but the message apparently didn’t reach the governor in time.

So a man who apparently stole his identity was able to secure a change to Virginia law that would make it easier to solicit money for a charity that, at this point, appears to be a complete scam.

This should not make anyone in Virginia feel good about the system.