The legacy press is circling the wagons for Democratic Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones after the release of text messages that could derail his campaign.
Major outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and Bloomberg have ignored the scandal involving Jones’s disturbing private messages and use of a reckless driving conviction for political gain. Neither story appears on their websites, and none have published follow-up coverage or reactions from political figures — including President Donald Trump — to the revelations. (RELATED: Trump Speaks Out Against Democratic AG Candidate After Disturbing Text Messages Revealed)
Even CNN downplayed the scandal with a soft headline — “Virginia’s Democratic nominee for attorney general facing pressure over resurfaced text messages” — that omitted any reference to the messages’ contents.
CNN Politics homepage screenshot showing the story headlined “Virginia’s Democratic nominee for attorney general facing pressure over resurfaced text messages” by Eva McKend on October 4, 2025. (Screenshot/CNN)
Axios only offered a brief mention Monday, headlining its piece “GOP unveils 7-figure ad campaign on ‘two bullets’ text by Jay Jones,” but the headline likewise failed to explain what the messages actually said.
Axios homepage screenshot showing the story headlined “GOP unveils 7-figure ad campaign on “two bullets” text by Jay Jones” by Hans Nichols on Oct. 6, 2025. (Screenshot/Axios)
Reports broke Wednesday — a classic October surprise — showing that Jones turned a reckless driving case into political capital by logging community service hours with his own campaign committee, the Richmond Times-Dispatch first reported.
In January 2022, a state trooper clocked Jones driving 116 mph in a 70 mph zone shortly after he left his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. Court records show his attorney delayed the case four times before securing a “deferred disposition,” letting Jones dodge up to a year in jail by performing community service.
He ultimately paid a $1,500 fine and logged 1,000 hours of service in 2023 — roughly half credited to his political action committee, Meet Our Moment, which is registered with the Virginia Board of Elections but not a nonprofit, and the rest with the NAACP Virginia State Conference.
Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares blasted Jones in a Wednesday post on X, writing, “Instead of taking accountability for his actions, it appears that my opponent submitted a letter to the Court stating that he performed 500 hours of ‘community service’ for his own PAC, which isn’t a charitable organization under state code, to dodge potential jail time.”
Miyares added that Jones’s messages raise “serious, troubling questions about Jay Jones’ judgment, his ability to uphold the law, and, ultimately, his qualifications for Attorney General.”
Instead of taking accountability for his actions, it appears that my opponent submitted a letter to the Court stating that he performed 500 hours of ‘community service’ for his own PAC, which isn’t a charitable organization under state code, to dodge potential jail time.
This… https://t.co/WoVE8wz9Oq
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) October 1, 2025
Two days later, a separate report revealed text messages from Jones to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner in which he fantasized about shooting former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert.
Jones told Coyner he would give Gilbert “two bullets to the head” and urinate on his grave.
He issued an apology late Friday, saying he takes “full responsibility” for his actions.
“I want to issue my deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family,” Jones wrote in a statement to ABC 8 News. “Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry.”
He said he had personally reached out to the former speaker, his wife, and their children.
“I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology,” Jones said. “Virginians deserve honest leaders who admit when they are wrong and own up to their mistakes. This was a grave mistake, and I will work every day to prove to the people of Virginia that I will fight for them as Attorney General.”
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger condemned the remarks but stopped short of calling for Jones to drop out, while top state Democrats — including the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee — continued to stand by him.
Jones, a former state delegate, lost the 2021 Democratic primary for attorney general but captured the nomination in June.
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