Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate for attorney general in Virginia, is playing defense now that The National Review has unearthed flippant texts he sent three years ago about political violence against then-GOP-state-house-speaker Todd Gilbert. Jones has personally apologized to Gilbert, his family, and the voters.
This is a really stupid own goal, obviously. If Jones had sent these messages 10 years ago, he would have been finished. But now, after so many years of Benedict Donald's terrible behavior and incendiary language, the bipartisan outrage just feels anachronistic.
Meanwhile, Republican Virginia gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears is struggling with money matters. And we don't mean problems fundraising, although that's certainly an issue.
"Earle-Sears built her political brand on transparency and accountability," The Virginia Mercury reports. "But a closer look at her public filings reveals a pattern of omissions and inconsistencies in her financial disclosures — including a $12,000 'gift' far above the state’s legal limit and multiple undisclosed trips funded by outside organizations.
"The records show that Earle-Sears, who has served as lieutenant governor since 2022, repeatedly failed to disclose gifts and travel benefits as required under state law, and in several instances amended her filings only after watchdogs or reporters raised questions."
That $12,000 'gift'? It was from Black Americans to Re-elect the President (that would be Donald), an organization she served as chair. Earle-Sears didn't bother to seek an exemption from Virginia's $100 gift cap when she filed her Statement of Economic Interests (SOEI) in June 2021— and the "gift" didn't fall into any of the categories that would have allowed her to accept it in the first place.
She also didn't report multiple trips she took to speak at events by the right-wing organization ALEC in 2022, 2023 or 2024, and flights she took on a donor's private plane. Hmm, these could all be problems. "Under Virginia law, a public official who knowingly files a false or incomplete SOEI is guilty of a Class 5 felony," the Mercury notes drily.
It looks like instead of living up to her pledge to "restore trust in government," Earle-Sears has continued the old patterns of corruption reminiscent of good ol' "Transvaginal Bob" McDonnell. It's not enough that these Republicans are obnoxious culture warriors. They have to be grifters and gougers, too. (And oh, yes, gun nuts. Ugh.) We cats HISS.
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