A Democrat running for Virginia’s top law enforcement post was busted for reckless driving in 2022 – and avoided jail time by completing 500 hours of community service with his own PAC, according to an eyebrow-raising report.
Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Attorney General, was slapped with the vehicular offense when a state trooper caught him tearing down Interstate 64 in New Kent County at a whopping 116 mph on Jan. 21, 2022, court documents obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch revealed.
The 36-year-old and his lawyers struck a deal to dodge Virginia’s mandatory one-year jail sentence for reckless driving in exchange for 1,000 hours of community service and a $1,500 fine.
While Jones spent 500 hours volunteering with the NAACP Virginia State Conference, he conveniently logged the remaining time with his own political action committee, Meet Our Moment.
His longtime advisor, Lesley Shinbaum Stewart, also signed the declaration confirming he completed his volunteer duties, court documents show.
“MOM is grateful to the time that Mr. Jones gave to the organization in furtherance of our mission to train civic leaders,” Stewart wrote to the court, the outlet reported.
Jones’s campaign did not respond to The Post’s questions about the types of volunteer work he did for the PAC and how long it took to complete, but sent a statement calling his careless driving a “mistake.”
“Several years ago, I made the mistake of speeding for which I am regretful,” his statement said.
“I accepted responsibility for my actions, paid the fine, and fulfilled my responsibility to the court, which was accepted by the New Kent County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and the judge.”
Stewart couldn’t immediately be reached and Meet The Moment did not respond to requests for comment.
Attorney General Jason Miyares, who Jones is challenging in the Nov. 4 election, told The Post he was “alarmed” by his opponent’s “excessive speeding” and questioned the validity of his community service.
“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 Political Action Committee, which is not a charitable organization under the Virginia code, to dodge potential jail time,” the Republican said.
“Our laws are not suggestions. This new information raises serious, troubling questions about Jay Jones’ judgment, his ability to uphold the law, and ultimately, his qualifications for Attorney General.”
Jones first made a run for attorney general in 2021, but lost in the June Democratic primary to then-incumbent Mark Herring, who was defeated by Miyares that November.
The Democrat was then nailed for driving 46 miles over the speed limit just three weeks after walking away from his state delegate seat in Norfolk, the outlet reported.
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