Across Virginia
Gov. Ralph Northam
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is struggling to raise big money in a key election year after a blackface scandal nearly ended his political career. But he’s also managed to remain a major source of campaign cash for Democrats, including those who have previously called on him to resign. New campaign finance reports filed Monday show the Democratic governor raised slightly more than $300,000 between April and June. That’s far below the seven-figure hauls his predecessors, former Govs. Terry McAuliffe and Bob McDonnell, raised during similar periods when they were in office. “His fundraising is weak, and he’s a drag on Democrats,” Republican Party of Virginia spokesman John March said.
But Northam political action committee director Mark Bergman said the governor’s ability to raise that amount from more than 500 donors only months removed from a major scandal is a sign of resiliency. “We’re thrilled where we are,” he said.
Virginia governors cannot serve consecutive terms but are typically their party’s biggest fundraisers for off-year legislative elections. All 140 seats in the General Assembly are on the ballot in November, and Virginia is the only state where Democrats have a chance of flipping control of the legislature this year.
Northam faced intense pressure to quit in February after a racist picture surfaced from his 1984 medical school yearbook page. He denied being in the picture but admitted to wearing blackface as a young man. Most Democrats initially called on Northam to resign, but many have since resumed working with him. He’s attended fundraisers with Democratic lawmakers and his PAC has poured thousands into key races.
Business interests heavily affected by government spending and regulations were among Northam’s biggest recent donors, including highway construction companies, gambling interests and auto dealers. He also reported spending $150,000 at the law firm that’s been helping him navigate the blackface scandal.
Northam wasn’t the only top Democrat to face calls for his resignation in February. Two women have publicly accused Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault, which he denies. And Attorney General Mark Herring acknowledged wearing blackface a few days after calling for Northam to resign over similar past behavior. They both posted pedestrian fundraising totals Monday.
But several individual Democratic candidates, including challengers seeking to knock off GOP incumbents, reported strong fundraising totals. Seven of the top 10 fundraisers among state Senate candidates were Democrats in the last reporting period.
Virginia Democrats have scored big wins in the last two election cycles thanks to suburban voters unhappy with President Donald Trump.
“We have the momentum, the message, the resources and we are on the right side of history. November is coming,” Democratic Party of Virginia spokesman Jake Rubenstein said.
But Republicans, who have been in the majority for several years, enjoy huge cash reserves they’ve built up over several election cycles.
“It’s no secret that Democrats are going to be well funded by millionaires and outside groups,” said Parker Slaybaugh, spokesman for GOP House Speaker Kirk Cox. “Despite that, we’re still happy to hold a more than $1 million cash on hand advantage.”
The Catholic Diocese of Richmond has suspended a Norfolk priest who graduated from Roanoke Catholic School, was an altar server at St. Andrews Church and held his first priestly assignment there. Diocesan officials say the suspension of Joseph Metzgar the Third followed recent accusations that he violated the code of conduct with minors. The news release did not offer details, but it did say the violations did not involve sexual abuse.
From the Catholic Diocese of Richmond:
Bishop Barry C. Knestout has suspended the priestly faculties of Father Joseph H. Metzger III effective Friday, July 12, 2019.
On July 5, 2019, a complaint was sent to the Diocesan Office of Safe Environment regarding a recent violation of the Diocese’s Code of Conduct with Minors. (Link to CDR Code of Conduct with Minors: https://richmonddiocese.org/mcoc).
While the complaint does not involve an accusation of sexual abuse, in accordance with diocesan policy and practice, the complaint was reported to law enforcement. Following an inquiry into the complaint by the Office of Safe Environment and consultation with the Diocesan Review Board, Bishop Knestout met with Fr. Metzger and suspended his priestly faculties.
The suspension means Fr. Metzger cannot present himself publicly as a priest, wear clerical attire, administer the sacraments or celebrate Mass publicly, nor is he to have any interaction with minors or youth.
On December 8, 2018, Fr. Metzger was placed on temporary leave of absence from his assignment as pastor of Blessed Sacrament, Norfolk, due to previous violations of the Diocesan Code of Conduct with Minors. On July 1, 2019, Fr. Metzger was assigned to serve as ecclesiastical notary in the Office of the Chancellor and as assessor in the Diocesan Tribunal along with the celebration of Mass at diocesan elderly housing facilities and communities of women religious in the Richmond area. As a result of this new complaint and subsequent suspension, he is now unassigned.
The diocesan child protection policy is online at www.richmonddiocese.org.
A 2016 story in the Catholic Virginian on Metzgar’s 25th anniversary in the priesthood says he graduated from Roanoke Catholic School in 1980, was an altar server at St. Andrew’s Church for eight years and held his first priestly assignment there. CLICK HERE to read the article.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia state and local governments may have to pay more each year to cover public employees’ retirement costs.The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the state’s pension plan for public employees is looking at lowering its expected rate of investment returns.The Virginia Retirement System could lower the assumed growth rate from 7 % to 6.75% or 6.5%. Supporters of the move say the lower numbers are a more realistic forecast of future growth.Such a move would increase the employer contribution costs by more than $200 million a year. That could eat into government budgets for other services or lead to tax hikes.VRS last lowered its assumed rate in 2010 from 7.5% to 7%.The fund said it earned a 6.5% last fiscal year.
James Fields, Jr.
Prosecutors in Charlottesville say they hope the sentencings of James Fields, Jr. will help the healing process move forward. Fields received a second life term yesterday on state charges, following a similar sentence last month on federal ones. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
James Fields, Jr.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — An avowed white supremacist was sentenced to life plus 419 years on state charges Monday for deliberately driving his car into anti-racism protesters during a white nationalist rally in Virginia. James Alex Fields Jr., 22, received the sentence for killing one person and injuring dozens during the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017. Last month, Fields received a life sentence on 29 federal hate crime charges.
Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Richard Moore followed a state jury’s recommendation in handing down the sentence. Under state law, he was allowed to go lower than the recommendation, but not higher.
“Mr. Fields, you had choices. We all have choices,” Moore said. “You made the wrong ones and you caused great harm. … You caused harm around the globe when people saw what you did.”
The state sentence is mainly symbolic given his previous sentence on the federal charges.
“For his purposes, he has one life to give, so this is a largely academic exercise,” noted Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University.
Fields, an avowed white supremacist who kept a photo of Adolf Hitler on his bedside table, drove from his home in Maumee, Ohio, to attend the rally, which drew hundreds of white nationalists to Charlottesville to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The event also drew counterprotesters who demonstrated against the white nationalists.
Violent skirmishes between the two sides prompted police to declare an unlawful assembly and to order the groups to disband before the rally could even begin. Later that day, Fields plowed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing Heather Heyer , 32, and injuring more than two dozen others.
The event stirred racial tensions around the country. President Donald Trump sparked controversy when he blamed the violence at the rally on “both sides,” a statement that critics saw as a refusal to condemn racism.
During Fields’ state trial, his attorneys focused on his history of mental illness and traumatic childhood.
MGN
State officials say it is a real and growing problem — fraudulent sales of boats and watercraft that can leave victims out of thousands of dollars. A common on-line scam involves showing a nice-looking boat on-line is not actually for sale. You are urged to never put money down on a boat without seeing it first in person, and make sure a title and bill of sale come with your purchase. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Records show former Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor has accumulated overdue property tax bills in Virginia for at least the second time.The Virginian-Pilot reports Taylor owes the city of Norfolk $1,097 on two properties he owns.A law firm that handled recent closings on the properties said that it didn’t collect or pay the taxes as usual and that Taylor wasn’t aware of the missed payments.The newspaper was contacted about the delinquencies by a political group that supports Democrats. It verified the details through city records, which show taxes for other properties Taylor owns were paid ahead of time.Last year, the Pilot reported Taylor was delinquent on nearly $12,000 in taxes, interests and penalty charges.Taylor is running for U.S. Senate in Virginia, hoping to unseat Democrat Mark Warner.
HAMPTON, Va. (AP) — Police in Virginia have confirmed that human remains found at a trash incinerator earlier this month belong to a 2-year-old boy who went missing.Hampton police said in a brief statement Saturday that DNA analysis has confirmed the remains are those of Noah Tomlin.Noah’s mother, Julia Tomlin , has been charged with three counts of felony child neglect involving three children, including Noah. She reported Noah missing on June 24, prompting a massive search.When the remains were found, the Hampton police chief declined to say how police believe they ended up there and who they think is responsible. The local prosecutor has also declined to discuss the case.
SPRINGFIELD, Va. (AP) — Virginia health department officials say two people have died and 20 more have been hospitalized by a respiratory virus outbreak at a large retirement community.The Fairfax County Health Department said Friday that 55 of the 263 residents at the Greenspring Retirement Community in Springfield, Virginia, have fallen ill during the outbreak. Over the past two weeks, the ill residents displayed symptoms such as coughs, fevers, and pneumonia.Health department officials say they’ve quarantined sections of the building thought to contain the infection. Greenspring is not accepting new residents as the outbreak is investigated.Health department spokesman Benjamin Schwartz said the two patients who died had been hospitalized with pneumonia but were “older individuals with complex medical problems.”