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Some legislative aides in Virginia do double duty as campaign staff
In Congress, elected representatives are supposed to keep their taxpayer-funded offices mostly separate from their political campaigns. In the part-time Virginia General Assembly, rules walling off legislative offices from campaign activity are less clear. The congressional rule exists to prevent incumbents from using government resources, including staff time, to help win reelection or move up to a higher office. Congressional staffers can engage in political activity, but only on their own time, without pressure from their boss and without their official duties being altered to free them up for campaign-related work, according to guidance published by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics.
Trump endorses Va. state Sen. McGuire over Bob Good for Congress
Former president Donald Trump has endorsed state Sen. John J. McGuire III (R-Goochland) over incumbent Rep. Bob Good in the GOP primary battle for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District seat, dealing a blow to Good as the House Freedom Caucus chairman seeks a third term. Trump took to his Truth Social platform Tuesday to hail McGuire, a former Navy SEAL, as a “true American Hero” and to blast Good, who initially endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over Trump for the White House.
Loudoun County considers cost of changing school names linked to slavery, Confederacy
On Tuesday night, the Loudoun County School Board was briefed on the potential cost of renaming nine schools a committee identified as named for people, places or ideas related to slavery or the Confederacy. That cost, according to the district, ranges between $1.1-1.25 million.
PETA files complaint against EVMS, citing abuse in baboon research
Animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has filed a complaint against Eastern Virginia Medical School, alleging abuse against baboons that went through Caesarian sections for pregnancy research. Norfolk-based PETA sent the complaint to the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office last week, and the letter states the school has a “longstanding, willful disregard of the well being of animals within its custody.” The school, however, has maintained that the animals were always cared for, and the research is vital for maternal and baby care.
New policing model affecting drop in Roanoke shootings, expert says
Nearly six months into 2024, and nearly seven months into Roanoke Police Chief Scott Booth‘s tenure, the city’s gun violence tables appear to have turned. Between Jan. 1 and May 19, 2023, Roanoke saw 28 incidents in which at least one person was struck by a bullet, according to the city police department’s latest gun violence statistics report. In the same time frame this year, only seven such incidents have occurred, excluding an officer-involved shooting and a justifiable homicide.
Celebrate the win, but don’t confuse AAA with real progress
The last six months haven’t exactly been kind to Mayor Levar Stoney. In November, he lost a second casino referendum, this time by 24 percentage points; the now-infamous meals tax fiasco, a borderline fraudulent tax-collection scheme bilking restaurant owners of hundreds of thousands, dominated headlines in January; in early March, the Stoney administration was hit with a whistleblower lawsuit from, of all people, the city attorney charged with overseeing transparency efforts; a few weeks later came a fight with Virginia Commonwealth University and state lawmakers, who called on the university to cancel a $56 million financial agreement with the city over a failed real estate project.
Ex-Rocky Mount police officer granted new sentencing for U.S. Capitol riots conviction
A federal appeals court ordered a new sentencing Tuesday for Thomas “T.J.” Robertson, a former Rocky Mount police officer who is currently serving a prison term for storming the U.S. Capitol. The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia means that when Robertson reappears before a district judge, he will face less time than the seven-year and three-month term he received in 2022.