Legacy Press is rallying around Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, a Democrat, following the emergence of a text message that could seriously impact his campaign.
Major news outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Bloomberg have chosen to overlook the troubling private message and other scandals, which include allegations of using reckless driving incidents for political purposes. Their websites have not featured these stories, and there has been no follow-up or comments from notable political figures—such as President Donald Trump—regarding this situation.
Even CNN downplayed the scandal in a soft headline: “Virginia Democratic candidate for Attorney General faces pressure over resurfaced text messages,” conveniently omitting specific details about the message.
Axios provided a cursory mention on Monday, referencing a piece titled “GOP has announced a seven-figure ad campaign about the ‘Two Bullets’ text,” yet failed to elaborate on what the message entailed.
The initial report, which emerged on Wednesday and is being described as a classic October surprise, reveals that Jones leveraged a reckless driving incident for political gain by reducing community service requirements at his campaign committee, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch.
In January 2022, state troopers recorded Jones driving at 116 mph in a 70 mph zone shortly after he left a meeting of the Virginia delegation. Legal records indicate that his lawyer postponed the case multiple times before achieving a “deferred disposition” that enabled Jones to avoid up to a year in prison by agreeing to community service instead.
He ultimately paid a $1,500 fine in 2023 and completed 1,000 hours of community service, although his campaign committee, “Meet Our Moment,” is not categorized as a nonprofit by the Virginia Election Commission, unlike the NAACP Virginia State Conference.
Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares remarked, “In exchange for taking accountability for his actions, I submitted a letter to the court indicating that my partner had conducted 500 hours of community service for my PAC.” He then expressed that Jones’ message raises “serious and troubling questions” about Jones’ judgment and qualifications for the Attorney General role.
“Instead of taking accountability for his actions, my opponent has apparently filed a letter to the court claiming he conducted 500 hours of ‘community service’ for his own PAC to evade potential sentencing—this PAC is not a charity as per state law.”
– Jason Miyares (@jasonmiyaresva) October 1, 2025
Two days later, another report surfaced revealing a text message from Jones to Republican Representative Carrie Coiner, where he mentioned a violent fantasy involving former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert. Jones suggested he would give Gilbert “two bullets in his head” and urinate on his grave.
On Friday, he issued an apology, claiming he would take “full responsibility” for his remarks. “I want to extend my deepest apologies for my comments about Gilbert and his family,” he stated. “Reading those words sickened me. I’m embarrassed and sorry.” Jones claimed he had reached out personally to Gilbert and his family.
“I can’t undo what I said, but I can take full accountability and offer a sincere apology. Virginians deserve a leader who admits when they are wrong and acknowledges their mistakes. This was a serious error, and I’m committed to proving I will fight for the people of Virginia as Attorney General,” he added.
While Democrat gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger criticized the comments, she stopped short of calling for Jones to step down. However, some prominent Democrats, including those from Virginia Beach, continued to support him.
Jones, a former state representative, previously lost the 2021 Democratic primary for Attorney General but secured nominations in June.
