Top GOP nominee in Virginia race defiant after Youngkin advisor denies ‘extortion' claims
A source familiar with the conversations told Fox News Digital that a Youngkin advisor attempted to solicit business from the lieutenant governor nominee just days before allegedly attempting to extort him.
John Reid, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, is refusing to drop out of the race after being pressured to do so by the governor because of lewd photos he allegedly posted on a Tumblr account.
In a video posted on Sunday, Reid, who is gay, denied that the Tumblr account with lewd photos belonged to him. He said he would not back down from the race and accused the Youngkin-linked Spirit of Virginia political action committee, which is run by Matt Moran, of attempted "extortion." Reid also said Spirit of Virginia offered to purchase the negative research against him gathered by Republican-aligned America Rising PAC and to bring an end to the negative coverage.
Reid's team filed a cease-and-desist letter against Moran on Monday. Moran has since filed an affidavit in which he denied attempting to extort Reid's team, saying, "I never attacked John and did not threaten or coerce him" and "I communicated what I truly believed was in his best interests in my judgement."
Moran said he was "clear in the meeting that I had acted on the information as a friend and colleague of John Reid, and adamantly deny the characterization of the meeting."
However, audio of an April 25 conversation with Moran and Reid's team, which was obtained and reviewed by Fox News Digital, casts doubt on Moran's characterization of the conversation.
During the conversation, Moran stated that "if John were to step aside … I would go buy it all from America Rising, if that's what you want. The campaign could go buy it all from America Rising."
At another point in the conversation, Moran states that "it is in no one's best interest for any of this to continue" and that if Reid "stays in the race, it is going to continue."
"That hurts our candidates up and down the ticket," said Moran, adding, "Him getting out of the race is the only way it stops, and then, yeah, it absolutely would have to stop forevermore after that."
Additionally, a source familiar with the conversations told Fox News Digital that Moran pitched the Reid campaign services from his advertising company, Creative Direct, in a conversation on April 21.
Youngkin has explained his decision to ask Reid to step down by saying that "explicit social media content like this is a distraction" and "it's a distraction for campaigns, and it's a distraction from people paying attention to the most important issues."
He noted, however, that "the decision is John's and up to John."
A spokesperson for Reid's campaign claimed in a statement to Fox News Digital that "the threat was clear" in the April 25 conversation and that "Moran's affidavit denying it is not accurate."
The spokesperson added that "it's deeply unfortunate he chose to create this distraction for the party after failing to secure business for himself from the campaign."
In response to these accusations, Moran referred Fox News Digital to Wednesday's X post in which he said, "I've known John Reid for years and consider him a friend" and that "over the last nine days, I was actively supporting and assisting John as the Lt. Governor nominee of the Republican Party."
"Let me be clear, facts matter, and they will demonstrate the accusations against me are unfounded," Moran said.
The X post Moran shared included a letter from his attorney, George Terwilliger, in which the attorney stated that "the facts, evidence, and witnesses would demonstrate that Mr. Moran never attempted to extort, coerce, or pressure Mr. Reid directly or indirectly, but rather as a seasoned professional endeavored to provide sound advice regarding the viability of Mr. Reid's candidacy to someone he counted as a friend."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
23 minutes ago
- New York Times
Oklahoma Proposes ‘America First Test' for Teachers From New York and California
Oklahoma will require teachers coming from New York and California to pass a test to combat what it calls 'woke indoctrination' before being hired, according to the state's public schools superintendent. Its America First Test is designed to filter out teachers with views contrary to Oklahoma values, said Ryan Walters, the state superintendent. It is meant to ensure that educators promote American exceptionalism and help protect against what he called 'radical gender ideology.' 'If you come to Oklahoma, you will abide by our state law, you will abide by our standards and teach those in the classroom,' said Mr. Walters, a Republican, in an interview on Tuesday. The test, designed by PragerU, a conservative nonprofit, is the latest attempt by education officials in Oklahoma to push the state's education system to the right. Critics of Oklahoma's decision argued that the test was more a means to garner attention from the president and his supporters than effect real change. Historically, only a handful of teachers each year move there from New York and California. 'His priority should be educating students,' said Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, one of the country's largest teacher's unions, 'but instead, it's getting Donald Trump and other MAGA politicians to notice him.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Post
24 minutes ago
- New York Post
National Guard vehicle collides with civilian car, traps one person near US Capitol
WASHINGTON — A National Guard vehicle collided with a civilian car less than a mile from the U.S. Capitol on Thursday morning as troops continued to take up positions around the city during President Donald Trump's crackdown. One person was trapped inside the car after the accident and had to be extricated by emergency responders, according to D.C. fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo. The person was transported to a hospital with minor injuries. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. A video posted online showed a tan-colored armored vehicle and a silver SUV with a crushed side. The military vehicle was twice the height of the civilian car. A National Guard vehicle collided with a civilian car near the US Capitol Thursday morning, trapping one person inside. AFP via Getty Images 'You come to our city and this is what you do? Seriously?' a woman yelled at the troops in the video. The driver was conscious and breathing, and the injuries were not considered life threatening, police said. The military vehicle was twice the height of the civilian car and the person trapped inside was later transported to a hospital with minor injuries. Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock An estimated 1,900 troops are being deployed in D.C. More than half are coming from Republican-led states that are responding to requests from Trump administration officials. Attorney General Pam Bondi said more than 550 people have been arrested so far, and the U.S. Marshals are offering $500 rewards for information leading to additional arrests. 'Together, we will make DC safe again!' Bondi wrote on social media.
USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
President Trump calls for Fed governor to resign after accusation of mortgage fraud
Trump's call for Lisa Cook to resign escalates his attacks on the independent Federal Reserve, which set monetary policy including interest rates. WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump called for the resignation of a Biden-appointed Federal Reserve governor, Lisa Cook, following accusations from his administration that she engaged in mortgage fraud. Trump's new focus on Cook, who former President Joe Biden nominated to the board in 2022, escalates the president's attacks on the independent Federal Reserve, which is governed by a seven-member board to set monetary policy. "Cook must resign, now!!!" Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on the morning of Aug. 20, shortly after Bill Pulte, director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, publicized a letter referring the Fed governor for criminal proseccution to the Justice Department. More: Trump tussles with Powell during Federal Reserve visit but backs off firing threat Pulte, in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, accused Cook of falsifying bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms. He said this included falsifying residence statuses in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Atlanta to potentially secure lower interest rates. Cook did not immediately respond to a USA TODAY request for comment on the allegations. Cook, a former economics and international relations professor at Michigan State University, is the first Black woman to ever sit on the Fed's board. Cook previously served as a senior economist on the Council of Economic Advisers in former President Barack Obama's White House. For months, Trump has railed against Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell over the Fed's unwillingness to lower interest rates as Trump has demanded, calling the chairman a "numbskull,' 'stupid person' and 'too late.' Powell has cited inflationary concerns from Trump's robust tariff regime in keeping interest rates steady. More: Trump considering lawsuit against Fed as he bashes Chair Jerome Powell Despite publicly weighing the idea of firing Powell, Trump has instead said he will wait to replace him when the chairman's term ends in 2026. Experts say the president can only remove a Fed chair for cause. Trump has also discussed possible criminal charges against Powell ‒ and perhaps suing Powell ‒ over the ballooning budget in a $2.5 billion renovation of the agency's Washington, DC headquarters. The Federal Open Market Committee, which sets interest rates, is a 12-member panel composed of the seven governors on the Fed board and five Reserve Bank presidents. Two Republican members of the FOMC Committee in July voted to lower interest rates, marking the first time since 1993 that two governors have dissented from a Fed decision. To fill an earlier vacancy on the Fed's board of governors, Trump on Aug. 7 nominated Stephen Miran, who chairs the White House's Council of Economic Advisers. If confirmed by the Sebate, Miran would replace Fed Governor Adriana Kugler, who resigned on Aug. 1 before her term was set to expire. Contributing: Bailey Schulz of USA TODAY Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
