If Democrats hoped to keep the lid on their brewing scandal in Virginia by re-issuing endorsements for their Attorney General candidate, they will awake to disappointment. New allegations that Jay Jones wished to see more law enforcement officers shot as a way to get police to back off lethal force has roiled the election in the commonwealth even further. Jones denies making these remarks, but his earlier denials before receipts came out about death wishes on the children of political opponents makes him something shy of credible at the moment.
These newer allegations popped up in yesterday's coverage, but they are worth reviewing here to set the context:
Coyner, when describing her call with Jones, said her told her that if Gilbert’s wife had to experience her children dying, then maybe the speaker would consider a change in gun policy.
The text conversation continued after the phone call. “You were talking about [hoping] Jennifer Gilbert’s children would die,” Coyner wrote to him.
“Yes, I’ve told you this before. Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy,” Jones responded.
When asked what Jones was referencing when he said “I’ve told you this before,” Coyner said it goes back to a heated phone call in 2020 about removing qualified immunity protections for law enforcement. (Qualified immunity protects police officers from civil lawsuits.)
Coyner said Monday morning: “We had a pretty heated conversation about public policy and pain involving qualified immunity. I served on the Courts Committee for a short period of time. A bill to remove qualified immunity for police officers, which protects police officers from personal liability in their line of duty and their line of work, and he believed that they should not have qualified immunity, and he was trying to convince me to agree with that, and I said, ‘No, police officers have to make a split second decision about whether or not to shoot a gun to protect themselves or protect others. And if they’re having to think about, will this strip my whole family of everything … are they going to be able to make that split-second decision?’ And I said, ‘I believe that people will get killed. Police officers will get killed.’ And he said, ‘Well, maybe if a few of them died, that they would move on, not shooting people, not killing people.’ And I said, ‘that’s insane.’ But he firmly believed that if you removed qualified immunity, that police officers would act differently, and I firmly believe that it would not result in good public policy, and it would put police officers and the public’s lives at risk if they have to second-guess themselves on a decision they’re making in a moment where someone is doing something violent.”
Emphasis mine. Jones sponsored a bill to remove qualified immunity, which didn't proceed to passage. Jones denies having said this now, but notably won't talk on the record to the Virginia Scope. His attorney released a statement denying that he made these remarks:
“I did not say this,” Jones said in a statement to Virginia Scope Monday afternoon. “I have never believed and do not believe that any harm should come to law enforcement, period. Every single day, police officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities, and I am deeply grateful for their service and sacrifice. As Attorney General, I will work hand-in-hand with law enforcement to support their work.”
Given that Jones initially downplayed the messages to Gilbert and tried to deflect the attention to Trump, this denial -- through an attorney, no less, when Jones has his own law degree -- isn't exactly a confidence builder. Coyner brought the receipts from the other remarks, and thus Coyner's reliability seems better established on Jones than Jones himself.
And that brings us to the law enforcement community with which Jones pledges to work "hand-in-hand." The Virginia Fraternal Order of Police offered a hand gesture of their own last night to Jones (via Twitchy):
The Fraternal Order of Police of Virginia sent a letter to Jones on Monday, calling for him to bow out of the Attorney General race immediately, while also condemning his 2022 text messages.
"The Virginia Fraternal Order of Police is aware of the recent text message scandal involving you, the Democrat candidate for Attorney General. While this incident may have occurred in 2022, this conduct has no place in our society or democracy, especially from an elected official who is running to be the top prosecutor in Virginia," the FOP wrote. "The men and women of the Virginia Fraternal Order unequivocally condemn these violent text messages sent by you about a political opponent and his family."
The FOP said it supports everyone’s right to "respectful and peaceful discussions" with politicians, though "calling for any type of violence is unacceptable."
"We have seen what this type of rhetoric has caused in other parts of the country. The men and women of law enforcement work tirelessly to combat the violence you wished on a fellow Virginian and his family," the FOP added. "Therefore, the members of the Virginia Fraternal Order of Police believe that you, Jay Jones, are unfit for the office of Attorney General of Virginia. It is time you hold yourself accountable for these actions and withdraw from the Attorney General race immediately."
This may not upend the race, but it should. Even in blue Virginia, though, crime is likely still at least a 60/40 issue if not 80/20, and having a chief law enforcement officer who thought more cops should die on the streets will be an unacceptable outcome. The fact that Jones' fellow Democrats, including Abigail Spanberger, keep endorsing Jones for that position despite these statements shows just how radical-Left the entire Democrat Party has become. They seem intent on proving that Jones is the norm for Democrats.
So let's keep pointing that out for them.
Editor’s Note: Help us continue to report the truth about radical-Left politicians like Jay Jones, Abigail Spanberger, and others who want to enable criminals and cripple law enforcement and public safety.
Join our VIP Membership program! Use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member