Today is a big day in Virginia. It’s the day after campaign finance reports for the first quarter of the year are filed by candidates. And this morning, as candidates and politicos were poring over every little detail – there were some pretty big eye-openers.
Earlier this month I wrote about Clean Virginia – a PAC that helps fund the campaigns of those candidates who pledge to not take campaign contributions from big energy or own stock in those companies. Oh, and they say they work to get corruption out of Virginia politics too – so – the environment and corruption – that’s what Clean Virginia claims to be laser-focused on.
You can read it here if you missed it.
www.dailykos.com/...
I came at them pretty hard after I accepted a $1,000 donation from them and then saw them bolster and even endorse candidates who, frankly, grossed me out. Candidates whose extreme partisan views hurt women and LGBTQ+ and people of color. Delegate Anne Ferrell Tata, my opponent, fails their test by being a Dominion stock owner who also takes campaign contributions from Dominion Power and Appalachian Power. Clean Virginia’s spokesperson defended the propping up of these candidates – including Mike Cherry, Sen. David Sutterlein, and Chad Green, Republican candidate for Virginia’s 69th House District, by saying they are a non-partisan, single-issue organization and these candidates had either voted or taken action recently that Clean Virginia wanted to reward. Green and Sutterlein got more than money or digital “thank you” ads from the PAC, they got Clean Virginia’s endorsement.
OK, that might have made sense If they hadn't (sometimes pretty aggressively) supported candidates like Amanda Chase (self-professed Trump in Heels.) and then willfully and quickly backed away from her publicly for extreme racist views because she was bad for the brand. You would have expected them to take a similar stance against the above-mentioned candidates.
And how about when they withdrew a $10,000 sponsorship for the Democrats' big fundraising gala in Virginia (previously the Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner now known as the Blue Gala) because then-seated Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax, a black man, was a featured speaker? This came amid allegations against the Lt. Governor of sexual abuse and rape. Business as usual. He was presumed guilty before an investigation had even been done. Michael Bills, Charlottesville investor, and the money behind Clean Virginia said, “I remain resolute in my conviction that Fairfax needs to resign.”
Or for violating their pledge to not accept donations from big energy. Or how about what they did to Hala Ayala, candidate for Lt. Governor, when she took campaign money from Clean Virginia only to turn around and also take money from Dominion? They had given her $25,000, but when she “betrayed” them by accepting $100,000 from Dominion, Clean Virginia launched a $125,000 digital ad campaign against her. Mess with the bull, and get the horns, right? Or FAAFO.
BREAKING: Del. Hala Ayala Accepts $100K Donation From Dominion Energy, Betraying Public CommitmentRunning for lieutenant governor, Ayala now the only statewide Democratic candidate to take campaign contributions from Dominion
CHARLOTTESVILLE — Virginians learned this morning that Delegate Hala Ayala, candidate for lieutenant governor, accepted $100,000 from Dominion Energy despite publicly promising to refuse donations from the state’s largest electric utility monopoly. This has made Del. Ayala the only Democratic candidate running statewide to accept any campaign contributions from Dominion. Clean Virginia had previously supported Ayala’s campaign for the House of Delegates and contributed $25,000 to her current run for lieutenant governor based on her previous public commitment to refuse utility monopoly money. She reiterated this commitment in Clean Virginia’s candidate questionnaire for both the 2019 and 2021 election cycles.
“In the final days of the primary campaign for Virginia’s lieutenant governor, with tens of thousands of votes already cast, Del. Hala Ayala chose to break a public commitment taking $100,000 from Dominion Energy and betraying the public’s trust,” said Clean Virginia Executive Director Brennan Gilmore. “Virginians should know that Del. Ayala chose to side with a corporate monopoly that has unjustly overcharged Virginians by $1.3 billion.”
In response, Clean Virginia will be launching a $125,000 statewide digital ad campaign in the final days of the lieutenant governor primary campaign to ensure that voters across the Commonwealth are aware of this broken promise and the harmful effects of decades of Dominion’s legalized corruption on everyday Virginians. Dominion has overcharged Virginians by more than $1.3 billion since 2015 and Virginia customers pay the 6th highest bills in the country. Yet, Dominion refuses to issue refunds and has even requested an increase to its authorized profit level from 9.2% to 10.8% as part of its rate review by the State Corporation Commission. If approved, this request would immediately raise bills even higher.
“Del. Ayala’s actions are uniquely disappointing and deceptive – she has campaigned for statewide office on a promise to Virginians that she would hold polluting utility monopolies accountable and then accepted a massive contribution from Dominion Energy. That is not leadership — it is desperation,” said Clean Virginia Executive Director Brennan Gilmore.
Through the Clean Virginia Fund, Clean Virginia’s political action committee, Clean Virginia transparently and predictably gives to Virginia candidates or incumbents who refuse contributions from Virginia’s regulated utility monopolies (i.e., Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company) and their employed registered lobbyists and who do not own stock in those corporations. Del. Ayala denied accepting contributions in Clean Virginia’s 2021 Statewide Candidate Questionnaire: “I did not accept campaign contributions from Virginia utility monopolies or their employed lobbyist during any of campaigns, and I will not accept them while running for Lieutenant Governor.”
Clean Virginia also contributed to the Lieutenant Governor campaigns of Delegates Glenn Davis (R-Virginia Beach), Elizabeth Guzman (D-Prince William County), Mark Levine (D-Alexandria),Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke), and Sean Perryman.
Well gosh darn it if ain’t happening again. Hey, Clean Virginia, you single-issue, non-partisan PAC, Chad Green just gave you the metaphorical finger the very day after you wired $20,000 to the Mega MAGA York County Supervisor now running for delegate.
So, if you are who you say you are, we can expect you’ll be recruiting a “clean” candidate to run against Chad. You can start them off with a $25,000 donation. Is it showtime yet?
I’ll make the popcorn.
I already made my promise to Clean Virginia – actual effort and understanding. And until this PAC distances itself from these candidates, I will not take another dime from them and I need all the dimes I can get to win this race. I’m here for it and you can donate and help. I would love to engage – please comment and let's discuss.
