Virginia’s attorney general contest has turned ugly and personal after news that Jay Jones’s wife backed the Minnesota Freedom Fund during the 2020 unrest, a move now tied to the release of defendants later accused of violent crimes; the revelation has sharpened law-and-order themes in a tight race and given Republicans fresh ammunition as voters worry about public safety and judgment in Washington and at the state level.
New reporting shows Mavis Jones gave to the Minnesota Freedom Fund at the height of the Minneapolis unrest, a group that collected huge sums in 2020 to post bail for people arrested in the street protests. In May 2020, during unrest in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death, on what was then Twitter: “I just donated to the Minnesota Freedom Fund,” linking to the group’s donation page and urging others to do the same. That account has since been set to private, leaving questions about judgment and public optics.
The fund ballooned to tens of millions in donations and was promoted by prominent progressive figures at the time, promising to help protesters and people swept up in clashes with police. But investigations later showed a large share of the money went to post bond for people charged with serious violent crimes rather than only low-level protest offenses. For voters focused on safety, it reads like a disconnect between good intentions and real-world outcomes.
https://x.com/_MavisJ/status/1266751024766898177
JAY JONES TEXT SCANDAL SPARKS DONATION SURGE AS GOP GROUP POURS MILLIONS MORE INTO VA RACE This development lands on top of already troubling news that has dogged Jay Jones’s campaign and forced explanations he still owes voters.
Specific releases tied to the fund include high-profile cases with large bail amounts. Christopher Boswell, a convicted rapist facing new kidnapping and assault charges, was freed after a $350,000 cash bail was posted; the fund also paid $100,000 to release Darnika Floyd, charged with second-degree murder, and $75,000 for Jaleel Stallings, accused of firing at a SWAT team before later being acquitted. Those examples are the kind of incidents that feed concerns about public safety and prosecutorial priorities.
One of the fund’s leaders was quoted describing how charges were handled on release, a line that cut through to many voters. “The last time we were down there, the clerk said, ‘We hate it when you bail out these sex offenders.’ I often don’t even look at a charge when I bail someone out.” That frank admission underlines why donors’ choices matter to communities where victims are left to cope with the consequences.
JONES AND MIYARES CLASH OVER MURDER TEXTS AS DEM REPEATEDLY INVOKES TRUMP AT HEATED, HIGH-STAKES DEBATE The gift to a controversial bail group arrives as Jones faces tough questions about prior conduct and temperament. Republicans are using it to argue that leadership in the attorney general’s office should be rooted in strict adherence to public safety and law enforcement support.
Another case tied to bail posted by the group involved George Howard, a repeat offender who was accused of fatally shooting a man in a road-rage episode a few weeks after his release. That incident has become shorthand for critics who argue that poorly targeted bail policies can have deadly consequences and that accountability matters at every level of government. Voters who care about victims say those outcomes should be a wake-up call for candidates who support bail reforms without guardrails.
Jones has already apologized for violent text messages aimed at political rivals, a separate scandal that lowered his standing with some swing voters and energized opponents. In one exchange he wrote that then–House Speaker Todd Gilbert gets “two bullets to the head” and that Gilbert’s wife Jennifer should “watch her children die.” Those lines have been used repeatedly by opponents to question his temperament and fitness for the state’s top law enforcement job.
Beyond the texts, court records show Jones was convicted of reckless driving in 2022 after being clocked at 116 mph on a Virginia highway and fined $1,500, with an order to complete 1,000 hours of community service. There is also an ethics review looking into whether volunteer hours worked for his own political committee can count toward that sentence, raising more questions about responsibility and transparency. These issues combined have made the campaign about character as much as policy.
With a handful of weeks left in the race, the controversy over the Minnesota Freedom Fund donation has given Republican incumbent Jason Miyares new lines of attack and a way to press the law-and-order message. A recent poll showed Miyares ahead by several points after Jones’s text scandal emerged, signaling momentum in a contest that was competitive earlier in the cycle. As the dust settles, Mavis Jones has set her X account to private, and the campaign has not provided an immediate response to requests for comment.
Darnell Thompkins is a conservative opinion writer from Atlanta, GA, known for his insightful commentary on politics, culture, and community issues. With a passion for championing traditional values and personal responsibility, Darnell brings a thoughtful Southern perspective to the national conversation. His writing aims to inspire meaningful dialogue and advocate for policies that strengthen families and empower individuals.