Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate for attorney general in Virginia, has abruptly canceled a Thursday night fundraiser that was to be hosted by acclaimed author David Baldacci.
This decision, confirmed by a source to Axios, signals that Jones' campaign is in a state of crisis management.
As reported by The Post Millennial, the cancellation comes in the wake of public outrage over a series of text messages from 2022. In these messages, Jones allegedly made a disturbing joke about reserving "two bullets" for the Republican speaker of the Virginia House. Jones' text read, "Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, hitler and pol pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head. Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time."
His associate, Coyner, responded at the time with a plea, "Jay Please stop."
In light of the controversy, Democratic donors were informed that their contributions for the now-canceled event would be refunded. However, representatives from both the Jones campaign and Senator Tim Kaine's office have refrained from commenting on the matter.
This scandal has introduced significant turbulence into the attorney general's race, especially as early voting is already in progress. Prominent Virginia Democrats, including the state's two U.S. senators, have criticized Jones' past remarks, yet few have called for his withdrawal from the race. Senator Tim Kaine, who was slated to attend the Baldacci fundraiser, expressed his continued support for Jones but labeled the candidate's comments as indefensible.
Kaine noted that Jones has accepted responsibility and issued an apology.
The Virginia Fraternal Order of Police (VFOP) has also entered the fray, urging Jones to exit the race. Compounding the controversy, it has emerged that Jones once remarked that if "a few" police officers were to die, it might deter them from "killing people."
This ongoing fallout is creating ripples throughout Virginia's political landscape, casting a shadow of uncertainty over one of the state's most scrutinized races. The situation underscores the importance of accountability and the potential consequences of past actions in the political arena.
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