GOP blasts Jay Jones over disputed $500K claim, points to record of deception
Embattled Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones’ post-debate boast that his campaign took in $500,000 in 24 hours appears not to hold water, and Republicans pointed to new public...
By Fox News · Fox News
Embattled Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones’ post-debate boast that his campaign took in $500,000 in 24 hours appears not to hold water, and Republicans pointed to new public fundraising disclosures poking holes in the claim. The RNC and the Republican Attorney Generals Association (RAGA) both issued separate condemnations of the claim. The latter called it a "desperate" attempt to distract from scandals related to violent rhetoric and a reckless driving charge. In the latest tranche of fundraising figures posted by the nonpartisan Virginia Political Access Project (VPAP), Jones recorded donations on the day of and day following his debate with his opponent, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares — Oct. 16 and 17 — totaling just over $339,000. That figure included $250,000 from DAGA PAC, which is the campaign arm of the Democratic Attorneys General Association, leaving about $90,000 to be accounted for incoming from other donors. SOROS-BACKED PROSECUTOR DOWNPLAYS DEM AG NOMINEE'S VIOLENT RHETORIC AS 'FALSE OUTRAGE' Small-dollar donations of $50 or less — often the bellwether for a candidate’s populist draw — totaled about $2,400 in that timeframe. Adam Piper, a top official at RAGA , said in a statement that Jones is "the Pinocchio of Virginia politics," referring to the Walt Disney character whose nose grew when he lied. DEMOCRATS POURED MORE THAN $1M INTO JAY JONES’ CAMPAIGN SINCE DUELING SCANDALS BROKE, DISCLOSURES SHOW "We all know IOUs and Monopoly money cannot pay the bills, but Jay seems to think so, probably because he got away with his Get Out of Jail Free card," Piper added. In 2022, Jones was stopped for driving 116 mph in a 70 mph zone in New Kent County and was convicted of reckless driving, which in Virginia is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail, a $2,500 fine and license suspension. Instead of jail time, Jones paid a fine and completed community service. The episode sparked renewed criticism afte…