Latest news with #SpiritofVirginia
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia Republicans are at war with each other. Here's how we got here.
Matt Moran, a top political advisor to Gov. Glenn Youngkin, stepped away from his role at the governor's PAC, Spirit of Virginia, this week, Youngkin confirmed Friday. 'He understood that with all of this going on, it was really hard for him to dedicate 100% of his focus to the really important work going on in Spirit of Virginia,' Youngkin said of the controversy within the Republican Party over John Reid's candidacy for lieutenant governor. The governor said Becca Glover, who previously served as deputy chief of staff in his administration, would replace Moran as executive director of the PAC. It was the latest aftershock after the quake that fractured the Virginia Republican party last week. Here's a look at how we got here: ___ Pat Herrity drops out of the race for lieutenant governor, citing health concerns. That means the GOP no longer needs to hold a primary for the position because Reid, a conservative talk radio host, is the only other candidate. As such, he automatically became the Republican nominee. Reid is the first openly gay candidate to run for statewide office in Virginia. The Republican candidate for governor, current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, posts her congratulations on social media. ___ Moran begins conducting vulnerability research into Reid through an outside group, according to his sworn affidavit. ___ According to the affidavit, Moran received a written summary of the study on the morning of April 25. It included a Tumblr account bearing the same username Reid uses on other social media. The Tumblr account had reposts of images of men in various states of undress, 'which would paint John in a negative light and impact the viability of his candidacy regardless of its veracity.' Moran said he informed Reid of the findings soon after. By that Friday afternoon, The Richmonder reported that Youngkin had called Reid and asked him to withdraw as the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, citing the photos, none of which contained Reid. The Tumblr page was removed shortly thereafter. Later the same day, Reid posted a five-minute video, where he said he will stay in the race and accused Republicans of attacking him because of his sexuality. ___ Moran met with Reid's long-term partner, Alonzo Mable; his campaign manager, Noah Jennings; and his friend, Virginia Beach attorney Tim Anderson. Moran categorized this meeting as communicating what he 'truly believed was in (Reid's) best interest in my judgment.' But later that day, Reid posted on X a video accusing members of the governor's PAC of extortion and threatened legal action. He said that the campaign communicated that if he dropped out of the race, the report findings would go away. 'These guys are openly trying to extort me to make me quit!' he wrote at the time. 'I won't stand for it!' In an audio recording from that meeting, first reported by The Virginia Mercury, Moran can be heard referencing how the report findings could get out. 'If he stays in the race, it is going to continue,' Moran said. 'That hurts our candidates up and down the ticket. Him getting out of the race is the only way it stops.' ___ Youngkin canceled an event scheduled for Wednesday featuring the Republican statewide ticket, though Reid said he would go forward with the rally alone. Later the same day, Reid's attorney sent a cease and desist letter to Moran, demanding that he retract what it categorized as defamatory and malicious statements. The letter also accused Moran of releasing the reports about the Tumblr account to the media. Youngkin and Earle-Sears spoke for the first time on the controversy and said it was up to Reid whether he continues the race. 'This week, focus on the lieutenant governor nominee distracted from that mission and cannot continue,' Earle-Sears said in a statement. 'John Reid is the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor. It is his race, and his decision alone to move forward. We all have our own race to run.' ___ Moran launched a legal attack of his own, publishing the aforementioned affidavit and a letter from his lawyer to social media. The letter reiterated that Moran never attempted to 'extort, coerce or pressure Mr. Reid.' Two hours later, Reid held a rally outside Richmond, where hundreds of supporters gathered. Reid said he will be a unifying candidate, but he accused the 'Richmond swamp' of holding back Virginia and targeting his campaign. ___ The Virginia Mercury published a story featuring the audio of Sunday's meeting. Moran posted on X that the audio corroborates his version of events. He later posted a statement from his lawyer. 'For a full understanding of the meeting, one should have the full recording,' the statement read. 'But even the selective couple of minutes is consistent entirely with Matt's statement in his affidavit that he was giving sound political advice to a candidate as to what was in his best interest and that of his party.' Later that night, Politico reported that Moran had left his role as director of Youngkin's PAC. In a statement, the Virginia Republican party of Virginia said it would unite behind the nominees for all positions up for election. 'All the attention in this race should be on the extremism of Virginia Democrats and their far-left vision for our Commonwealth,' the statement said. Kate Seltzer, 757-713-7881,
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top Youngkin aide steps down amid controversy over lieutenant governor nominee
The head of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R) Spirit of Virginia PAC, Matt Moran, has stepped down from his role amid the controversy surrounding the governor calling on the GOP lieutenant governor nominee, John Reid, to suspend his campaign, according to a source familiar with internal deliberations. The development comes a week after Youngkin called Reid to suspend his campaign after a report that Republican researchers came across sexually explicit photos on Tumblr posted by the same username Reid uses on other accounts. Reid has adamantly denied the allegations and went as far on Monday as to accuse Youngkin's team of extortion. Reid, who is openly gay, has also said the reason he is being targeted is because of his sexuality. Virginia Republicans have flocked to Reid's defense in the face of the controversy, calling Youngkin's move 'an unforced error' and laying blame on the Spirit of Virginia PAC. Reid held a rally in Henrico County on Wednesday, which drew over 500 attendees, according to local media. Youngkin addressed the controversy earlier this week at a press conference during a fentanyl awareness event. 'It's a distraction for campaigns and it's a distraction from people paying attention to the most important issues, and here we are today talking about fentanyl and saving lives and the distraction is present,' Youngkin said. 'That's why I called him on Friday morning.' 'And the decision is John's and up to John,' the governor continued. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R ), who is the GOP nominee for governor, echoed Youngkin's remarks in a separate statement Tuesday evening. 'This week, focus on the lieutenant governor nominee distracted from that mission and cannot continue,' Earle-Sears said, referring to the mission 'to unite and inspire Virginians of all backgrounds.' 'John Reid is the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor. It is his race, and his decision alone to move forward. We all have our own race to run.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Top Youngkin aide steps down amid controversy over lieutenant governor nominee
The head of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R) Spirit of Virginia PAC, Matt Moran, has stepped down from his role amid the controversy surrounding the governor calling on the GOP lieutenant governor nominee, John Reid, to suspend his campaign, according to a source familiar with internal deliberations. The development comes a week after Youngkin called Reid to suspend his campaign after a report that Republican researchers came across sexually explicit photos on Tumblr posted by the same username Reid uses on other accounts. Reid has adamantly denied the allegations and went as far on Monday as to accuse Youngkin's team of extortion. Reid, who is openly gay, has also said the reason he is being targeted is because of his sexuality. Virginia Republicans have flocked to Reid's defense in the face of the controversy, calling Youngkin's move 'an unforced error' and laying blame on the Spirit of Virginia PAC. Reid held a rally in Henrico County on Wednesday, which drew over 500 attendees, according to local media. Youngkin addressed the controversy earlier this week at a press conference during a fentanyl awareness event. 'It's a distraction for campaigns and it's a distraction from people paying attention to the most important issues, and here we are today talking about fentanyl and saving lives and the distraction is present,' Youngkin said. 'That's why I called him on Friday morning.' 'And the decision is John's and up to John,' the governor continued. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R ), who is the GOP nominee for governor, echoed Youngkin's remarks in a separate statement Tuesday evening. 'This week, focus on the lieutenant governor nominee distracted from that mission and cannot continue,' Earle-Sears said, referring to the mission 'to unite and inspire Virginians of all backgrounds.' 'John Reid is the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor. It is his race, and his decision alone to move forward. We all have our own race to run.'
Politico
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Youngkin aide steps down amid controversy over GOP's lieutenant governor candidate
A top aide to Glenn Youngkin's political operation has stepped down from his post leading the PAC, Spirit of Virginia, according to a person familiar with his departure and granted anonymity to describe internal matters. Matt Moran, a longtime Youngkin staffer, had become the center of a political firestorm in recent days after allegations emerged that John Reid, the presumptive GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, had maintained a social media account with pornographic images of naked men. Reid, the first openly gay Republican nominee for statewide office in Virginia, has argued that efforts to remove him from the Republican ticket are rooted in discrimination against his sexuality and has denied the account was his . Youngkin reportedly asked Reid to drop out of the race , prompting outrage in the GOP, as grassroots Republicans rallied around the embattled candidate. The controversy has fueled dysfunction in a state where the Republican Party was already facing an uphill battle in November and could tarnish Youngkin's efforts to position himself as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. A longtime GOP operative and Trump loyalist, Reid held a rally on Wednesday night with a crowd of hundreds of loyalists where he condemned the 'Richmond swamp' that 'does not like it when they encounter a different type of person who they can't control.'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top GOP nominee in Virginia race defiant after Youngkin advisor denies ‘extortion' claims
The campaign for Virginia's Republican nominee for lieutenant governor is pushing back amid a firestorm of controversy and Republican infighting in Virginia, which has pitted the nominee against Gov. Glenn Youngkin. 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. After Hurricane Helene, Virginia Couple Welcomes New Home Built By Volunteers 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." Read On The Fox News App 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." Former Congresswoman Turned Va Gubernatorial Candidate Abigail Spanberger Accused Of Ethics Violation "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." Winsome Earle-sears Knocks Gubernatorial Opponent For Hiding Biden's Health: She Cannot Be Trusted 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."Original article source: Top GOP nominee in Virginia race defiant after Youngkin advisor denies 'extortion' claims
