A Democratic candidate for Virginia’s highest law enforcement office found himself in hot water after being cited for reckless driving in 2022, managing to evade jail time by completing 500 hours of community service through his own PAC, according to an intriguing report.
Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Attorney General, was caught speeding on Interstate 64 in New Kent County, driving at an alarming 116 mph on January 21, 2022, as per court documents revealed by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The 36-year-old politician and his legal team negotiated a deal that allowed him to avoid Virginia’s mandatory one-year jail term for reckless driving by agreeing to perform 1,000 hours of community service and pay a $1,500 fine.
During his community service, Jones dedicated 500 hours to volunteering with the NAACP Virginia State Conference, while the remaining time was logged with his own political action committee, Meet Our Moment.
His longtime advisor, Lesley Shinbaum Stewart, confirmed his completion of the required volunteer hours in court documents.
“MOM appreciates the contributions that Mr. Jones made toward our mission to train civic leaders,” Stewart stated in her letter to the court, as reported.
Jones’s campaign did not respond to The Post’s inquiries regarding the specifics of the volunteer work he carried out for the PAC and the duration for which it took place, but issued a statement referring to his reckless driving as a “mistake.”
“A few years back, I made the regrettable decision to speed,” his statement read.
“I took responsibility for my actions, paid the fine, and fulfilled my obligations to the court, which were accepted by the New Kent County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and the judge.”
Stewart was not immediately reachable for comments, and Meet Our Moment did not respond to requests for clarification.
Attorney General Jason Miyares, who is facing Jones in the upcoming November 4 election, expressed to The Post that he was “disturbed” by his opponent’s “reckless speeding” and questioned the legitimacy of his community service.
“Rather than take full accountability for his actions, it appears that my opponent submitted a letter to the court claiming he performed 500 hours of ‘community service’ for his own Political Action Committee, which, according to Virginia law, is not classified as a charitable organization, in order to avoid potential jail time,” the Republican stated.
“Our laws are not mere suggestions. This new information raises significant and troubling questions about Jay Jones’s judgment, his ability to enforce the law, and ultimately, his fitness for the role of Attorney General.”
Jones previously campaigned for the attorney general position in 2021 but lost the Democratic primary to the then-incumbent Mark Herring, who was later defeated by Miyares that November.
The Democrat faced the reckless driving charge just three weeks after stepping down from his position as a state delegate in Norfolk, according to the report.
