In a twist of irony, Democratic heavyweights George Soros and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, both known for their staunch anti-gun stance and generous funding to anti-gun groups, have found themselves embroiled in controversy.
Their substantial financial support to the campaign of Jay Jones, a candidate facing increasing pressure to withdraw from the race due to his violent text messages, has raised eyebrows. Jones's messages, in which he expressed a desire to shoot a Republican colleague and wished death upon the colleague's children, have stirred up a political storm.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, Soros's Democracy PAC and Pritzker made significant contributions to Jones's campaign on September 30, amounting to $250,000 and $20,000 respectively. These donations were made just days before the shocking revelations about Jones's violent rhetoric came to light. However, neither Soros nor Pritzker have commented on the scandal.
Jones, a former Virginia state delegate, is currently running against Republican incumbent Jason Miyares. His disturbing text messages, reported by the National Review on October 3, were sent to a Republican colleague in 2022. In these messages, Jones expressed a desire to put "two bullets" in the head of then-Virginia house speaker Todd Gilbert and referred to Gilbert's children as "little fascists."
The scandal has not only shaken up the attorney general's race but also threatens to impact the campaigns of Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Abigail Spanberger and lieutenant governor candidate Ghazala Hashmi.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Democrats have been hesitant to comment on the Jones matter, and none have called on him to withdraw from the race. Soros and Pritzker have remained silent, not responding to requests for comment.
The controversy comes at a time when Soros and his charity, the Open Society Foundations, are under scrutiny from the Trump administration for funding left-wing groups linked to "terrorism or extremist violence." The Open Society Foundations donate tens of millions of dollars each year to organizations advocating for defunding police departments, implementing lenient crime policies, or supporting Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.
Soros's Democracy PAC, established in 2019, has donated millions to progressive prosecutors and state officials advocating for defunding police, ending cash bail, and implementing other lenient crime measures.
In the past, the Open Society Foundations have made significant donations to anti-gun organizations. In 2024, they donated $300,000 to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and, in 2023, contributed $400,000 to Global Action on Gun Violence. The latter organization has sued American gun manufacturers on behalf of the Mexican government, a lawsuit that was unanimously dismissed by the Supreme Court in June.
Pritzker, a vocal advocate for extensive gun control measures, has recently accused President Trump and Republicans of promoting political violence. On Sept. 30, the same day he donated to Jones's campaign, Pritzker criticized Trump for suggesting that violent illegal immigrant gangs should be "taken out" of the country. Pritzker stated, "Anyone who talks about their fellow Americans as enemies to be 'taken out' is not fit to lead the nation."
Several anti-gun organizations that donated to Jones have also remained silent about the Jones texts. Everytown for Gun Safety, the country's largest gun control group, donated $200,000 to Jones in July and designated him one of its "Gun Sense" candidates. However, the organization, funded by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, has not commented on Jones's scandal and quietly removed its endorsement of Jones from its website last week.
The Brady PAC, another anti-gun organization, withdrew its endorsement of Jones from its website without public comment. The Giffords PAC, led by former representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot at a campaign event in 2011, has endorsed Jones and has not commented on the text messages.
The substantial donations to Jones from out-of-state donors underscore the importance Democrats place on the attorney general's race and others in Virginia. Democrats hope to sweep all the statewide races as a sign of broad opposition to the Trump administration's policies.
A recent Trafalgar Group poll revealed that 60 percent of participants said Jones's text messages were "having a significant to some impact" on their voting decision. The poll showed Jones trailing Miyares by 6 points. Spanberger led Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears by 2 points, and Hashmi is leading Republican John Reid in the lieutenant governor race by around 1 point.
This scandal, coupled with the silence of prominent Democrats, raises questions about the party's commitment to the values they publicly espouse.
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