A Virginia congressman and 11 current Democratic legislators are calling on to address what they call 鈥渟erious ethical concerns鈥 over the roughly $650,000 her campaign has received from Dominion Energy.
They warn that what they call 鈥渦nprecedented contributions鈥 from a regulated utility raise potential conflicts of interest and could undermine public trust in the office.
All 14 signers of the letter 鈥 including a former congressman and a former delegate 鈥 have endorsed Taylor鈥檚 Democratic opponent, , in the June 17 primary for attorney general.
Jay Jones and Shannon Taylor
In the open letter, the officials outlined concerns about the independence of the Attorney General鈥檚 Office, which holds regulatory oversight responsibilities over Dominion. The office routinely appears in matters involving utility rates, environmental compliance and consumer protection in which Dominion is often the opposing party.
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鈥淭his creates an inherent conflict,鈥 the officials wrote, 鈥渨hen a candidate for this office accepts such substantial contributions from the very entity they would be charged with assisting with regulating and potentially prosecuting.鈥
The signers 鈥 who include Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-10th, former Rep. Tom Perriello, D-5th, and 11 current Virginia General Assembly members 鈥 ask Taylor to recuse herself from cases involving Dominion.
Taylor, the Henrico County commonwealth鈥檚 attorney, did not answer questions regarding whether she would recuse herself from Dominion cases but provided a statement.
鈥淯nlike Jay Jones, who鈥檚 never prosecuted a case and spent less than 10 months in the DC AGs office, I鈥檝e spent 30 years prosecuting thousands of cases to protect Virginia families and hold fraudsters accountable. I have the experience necessary to handle the complex regulatory issues facing Virginia families and businesses,鈥 Taylor said.
鈥淎nd just like Attorney General Mark Herring and Governor Ralph Northam, Leader Don Scott, and Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, who have accepted contributions from Dominion Energy, I will always fight to do what is best for Virginia families.鈥
Herring, a former attorney general, who has endorsed Taylor, or any state-regulated monopolies in order to help restore the public鈥檚 trust.
The letter cites Virginia鈥檚 Rules of Professional Conduct and the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act, which require public officials and attorneys to avoid situations that compromise their judgment or create an appearance of impropriety. It also says that while political contributions are legal, the scale of Dominion鈥檚 support 鈥 $650,000 in this election cycle 鈥 could erode public confidence in the office鈥檚 impartiality.
鈥淐itizens have a right to expect that their Attorney General will make decisions based on law and facts, not on obligations to major campaign donors,鈥 the officials wrote.
The letter calls on Taylor to take three specific actions: publicly disclose all contributions from Dominion and its executives, commit to recusing herself from any matters involving the company if elected, and issue a detailed public explanation of how she plans to maintain prosecutorial independence.
Dominion Energy, Virginia鈥檚 largest utility, has long been a dominant force in state politics. Clean Virginia, a nonprofit that opposes Dominion鈥檚 influence, launched an attack ad against Taylor last week, citing her large donations from Dominion.
The officials behind the letter said the goal is not to interfere in the election, but to uphold standards they believe are critical to the office鈥檚 credibility.
鈥淭he integrity of Virginia鈥檚 legal system depends on the independence and impartiality of the Attorney General鈥檚 office,鈥 they wrote. 鈥淎ddressing these concerns proactively will strengthen both your candidacy and the public鈥檚 trust in the office you seek to hold.鈥
Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican who is running for reelection and will face either Jones or Taylor in the November election, also has accepted donations from Dominion.
