Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate for attorney general in Virginia, has come under scrutiny after sending a set of alarming text messages to a former colleague in 2022, in which he suggested that then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R) should be shot in the head.
A text message sent by Jones read, “Three people, two bullets,” according to information obtained by The Post from a reliable source.
Continuing his dark musings, Jones included in his message, “Gilbert, Hitler, and Pol Pot,” offering a grim hypothetical to the recipient of his text.
He elaborated, stating, “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” and provocatively added, “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
The messages, first reported by National Review last Friday, were sent on August 8, 2022, around 8 a.m. to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner, who expressed concern over the exchanges.
“Jay,” she texted back, “Please stop.”
Coyner elaborated, “It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death on them.”
This text chain was ignited when Jones, by mistake, texted Coyner his frustration regarding the “glowing tributes” from Republicans, including Gilbert, for centrist Democrat Joe Johnson Jr., who had just passed away days earlier.
Jones remarked, “If those guys die before me, I will go to their funerals to piss on their graves.”
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During their text conversation, Jones reportedly called Coyner to fortify his remarks, insinuating he desired Gilbert’s wife to witness her children perish as a way to possibly influence Gilbert’s political stance, as cited by National Review from a source.
Coyner texted Jones after apparently ending the call, “You weren’t trying to understand; you were talking about hoping Jennifer Gilbert’s children would die.”
<pJones replied, "Yes, I've told you this before. Only when people feel personal pain do they move on policy."
“Do I think Todd and Jennifer are evil? And that they’re raising little fascists? Yes,” Jones stated further.
In a statement, Coyner remarked to National Review that Jones’s messages were “not just disturbing but disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office.”
“Jay Jones expressed a wish for violence against the children of a colleague and made jokes about shooting Todd Gilbert. It’s abhorrent and unbecoming of any public official,” Coyner stated.
In response to the uproar, Jones did not issue an apology but instead claimed that his GOP opponent, incumbent Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, was propagating “smears” in his initial remarks about the situation.
“Like everyone, I’ve sent text messages that I regret, and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics,” Jones remarked in a statement to Virginia Scope.
“What’s happening in the Attorney General’s race right now is that Jason Miyares is spreading smears through Trump-controlled media to discredit my character and possibly save his flailing campaign,” he stated. “This tactic ensures Jason Miyares remains answerable to Donald Trump rather than the people of Virginia.”
Jones later acknowledged that he has worked to reach out to Gilbert and his family, characterizing his messages as “a serious mistake.”
“I fully accept responsibility for my actions, and I wish to extend my deepest apologies to Speaker Gilbert and his family. Reflecting on those words made me feel sick. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and truly sorry,” Jones wrote.
“I have reached out directly to Speaker Gilbert, his wife Jennifer, and their children to apologize. While I can’t undo what I said, I can take full responsibility and offer my heartfelt apology,” he added.
These unsettling messages are the second scandal for Jones in the same week.
On Wednesday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch disclosed that Jones was caught for reckless driving in 2022 while traveling 116 mph on a Virginia interstate but evaded jail time by completing 500 hours of community service with his own political action committee.
