Last October, then-Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-VA) warned Democrats that their unconstitutional redistricting gamble would do little more than waste the taxpayers&#8217; time and money.
The Virginia Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the newly-drawn congressional map — which skews dramatically in favor of Democrats — is flagrantly unconstitutional. But when all was said and done, as Miyares pointed out, the measure had already run up a $70 million tab — some of which was to be paid by taxpayers.
HB 1384, the amendment that set the special election, set aside $5 million of taxpayer money in order to pay for that election — but it did not cap the amount, meaning that supplemental funding may have been added to that as needed.
In addition to the taxpayer dollars, millions were spent on ads promoting the measure.
&#8220;If Abigail Spanberger and Virginia Democrats had paid attention my October 2025 AG’s Opinion that made clear this scheme was unconstitutional and illegal, they could have saved more than $70 million, countless headaches, and months of obnoxious television ads defending the indefensible,&#8221; Miyares said in a statement posted to X. &#8220;Instead, they ignored the law, wasted taxpayer money on running a special election, and dragged Virginians through a completely avoidable mess.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
If Abigail Spanberger and Virginia Democrats had paid attention my October 2025 AG’s Opinion that made clear this scheme was unconstitutional and illegal, they could have saved more than $70 million, countless headaches, and months of obnoxious television ads defending the… <a href="https://t.co/787vvZRHZD">https://t.co/787vvZRHZD</a>
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonMiyaresVA/status/2052756571243909513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Miyares issued his opinion on October 28, 2025, saying in part, &#8220;My office just issued an official opinion explaining that the constitutionally required process to amend the Virginia Constitution cannot be short-circuited by a last-minute vote of the General Assembly taken during an ongoing election.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My office just issued an official opinion explaining that the constitutionally required process to amend the Virginia Constitution cannot be short-circuited by a last-minute vote of the General Assembly taken during an ongoing election. <a href="https://t.co/vKWweCbKSp">pic.twitter.com/vKWweCbKSp</a>
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonMiyaresVA/status/1983219332579512689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Virginia Supreme Court ultimately <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-redistricting-in-brutal-blow-to-democrats">agreed with Miyares</a>, ruling on Friday 4-3 that irregularities in the process had resulted in a new map that would not stand.
&#8220;In this case, the Commonwealth submitted a proposed constitutional amendment to Virginia voters in an unprecedented manner that violated the intervening-election requirement in Article XII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia,&#8221; the Court held, adding, &#8220;This violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void.&#8221;
So the Commonwealth of Virginia is right back where it started — albeit a bit poorer — for the Democrats&#8217; efforts to put a thumb in the midterm scales.

Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate Abigail Spanberger Speaks At An Everytown For Gun Safety Rally

How Much Virginians Paid For Democrats To Gerrymander Their Map

gerrymandering

Jason Miyares

Politics

Virginia

Virginia Democrats

Tens of millions of dollars spent by Virginia Democrats to shift the state’s congressional delegation blue may have been for nothing after the state Supreme Court struck down the proposed map on Friday. 
Campaign filings show that <a href="https://www.virginiansforfairelections.com/">Virginians for Fair Elections</a>, the leading Democrat-aligned group backing the gerrymandered map, <a href="https://cfreports.elections.virginia.gov/Committee/Index/a5d5d000-0875-419d-b056-4245a6cca40f">raised</a> more than $64 million between January and April 2026. That total was more than double the amount raised by Republican-aligned groups opposing redistricting. 
The map, approved by voters last month, would have shifted the congressional delegation from its current 6-5 Democrat edge to a 10-1 advantage. 
Virginians for Fair Elections <a href="https://x.com/FairElectionsVA/status/2046772351371464747">said</a> that the map was necessary “to fight back against Trump’s attempts to rig the 2026 midterm elections.”
Much of the money raised came from House Majority Forward, which contributed nearly $39 million, according to campaign filings. The group describes itself as a “progressive, non-profit organization committed to promoting economic growth and opportunity, social justice, environmental stewardship, and democracy in the United States of America.”
House Majority Forward is classified as a 501(c)(4) social welfare <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/house-majority-forward-1">organization</a>, meaning it does not have to publicly disclose its donors. 
Other similar dark money groups donated millions. The Fairness Project <a href="https://www.vpap.org/money/top-donors/">gave more</a> than $12 million, the Fund for Policy Reform donated $5 million, American Opportunity Action contributed $3.6 million, and the Global Impact Social Welfare Fund added $1.5 million. These groups frequently bankroll liberal causes, from abortion to election laws. 
Additionally, the Democratic Party of Virginia contributed more than $977,000. 
Republican-aligned groups spent around $30 million to oppose the map. After the results of the April referendum, some commentators criticized the Republican Party over the spending gap. 
Virginians for Fair Maps <a href="https://www.vpap.org/donors/597811/recipient/597811/?start_year=2026&amp;end_year=2027&amp;recip_type=all">raised</a> more than $21 million, while the Per Aspera Policy group contributed $7.2 million to Justice for Democracy’s campaign against the redistricting plan.
Conservative commentators mocked the groups for spending so much money on the campaign, only for it to be struck down in a 4-3 decision. 
“Democrats incinerated nearly $70 million on an unconstitutional gerrymandering scheme in Virginia,” <a href="https://x.com/SteveGuest/status/2052754037942919204">said</a> Steve Guest, a former spokesman for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).

Closeup heap of Dollar bills burning with orange fire against black background. 3d render

Virginia Ruling Leaves Democrats With A Hefty Bill

2026 elections

House of Representatives

The nationwide battle for congressional seats shifted dramatically Friday after Virginia’s Supreme Court struck down the state&#8217;s Democrat-favored congressional map, even as Republican-led states across the South charge ahead to redraw their own.
The Virginia ruling undercuts what Democrats had expected to be a 10-1 advantage in the state&#8217;s House delegation. Instead, the map reverts to a narrower 6-5 Democrat edge that was in place before the April special election, giving Republicans a clearer path to compete. 
The decision comes on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week striking down requirements for black-majority districts in Southern states, prompting a wave of redistricting efforts in Republican-led states. 
Florida and Tennessee have already approved new maps, with more red states likely to follow. 
Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brutal-blow-for-democrats-in-red-state-sparks-leftist-outrage?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Brutal+Blow+For+Democrats+In+Red+State+Sparks+Leftist+Outrage">approved</a> a congressional map expected to hand Republicans control of all nine of the Volunteer State’s congressional districts come November. The map, signed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, spreads out the heavily Democratic population centers in Memphis and Nashville across multiple Republican-favorable districts. 
The new map is likely to eliminate Tennessee’s lone Democratic seat, currently held by Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis. 
In Florida, lawmakers led by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-passes-new-maps-that-could-threaten-multiple-democratic-seats">passed</a> new district lines projected to give Republicans four additional House seats. The changes target Democratic-leaning areas in Tampa, Orlando, and South Florida, aiming to flip those districts to Republican control.
Alabama could be next. Lawmakers are considering legislation that would produce a congressional map favoring Republicans 6-1, shifting one seat away from Democrats. 
Prior to the Supreme Court decision last week, Alabama was forced to maintain one majority-black district and a second with a near-majority black population under an interpretation of the Voting Rights Act that has now been ruled an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. 
Lawmakers in Louisiana, South Carolina, and Mississippi are also reviewing potential redistricting plans that could further shift even more seats to Republicans. 
President Donald Trump called on states to redraw maps after the Supreme Court decision last week. 
“We cannot allow there to be an Election that is conducted unconstitutionally simply for the ‘convenience’ of State Legislatures,” Trump said Sunday. “If they have to vote twice, so be it. We should demand that State Legislatures do what the Supreme Court says must be done. That is more important than administrative convenience. The byproduct is that the Republicans will receive more than 20 House Seats in the upcoming Midterms.”

Tennessee Governor Signs Trump-Backed Redistricting Plan

Virginia Ruling Reshapes Redistricting Battle For House Control

Florida

Tennessee

U.S. Politics

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday invalidated a state referendum that would have allowed Democrats to pick up five blue seats, delivering a devastating blow in the party&#8217;s redistricting battle with Republicans.  
In April, voters narrowly approved a redistricting referendum that diluted the voting power of rural areas and gave state Democrats a 10–1 advantage in Congressional representation.
<a href="https://www.vacourts.gov/static/opinions/opnscvwp/1260127.pdf">In a 4-3 ruling</a>, the Supreme Court of Virginia struck down the referendum, ruling that Democratic lawmakers violated procedural rules.
&#8220;In this case, the Commonwealth submitted a proposed constitutional amendment to Virginia voters in an unprecedented manner that violated the intervening-election requirement in Article XII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia. This violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void,&#8221; the court ruled.
President Donald Trump celebrated the ruling <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116539521227824996">on Truth Social</a>.
&#8220;Huge win for the Republican Party, and America, in Virginia. The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats’ horrible gerrymander. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&#8221;
The decision marks a stinging defeat for Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), who aggressively pursued the measure, despite previously saying she had “<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5469556-governor-spanberger-redistricting-plans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no plans</a>” to pursue redistricting.
“Justice has been served. From the beginning, this was the most obvious violation of Virginia’s Constitution. Abigail Spanberger and Democrats in Richmond knowingly violated our constitution to disenfranchise millions of Virginians,” former <a href="https://x.com/GlennYoungkin/status/2052754158844096555?s=20">Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin said</a>. “The Constitution prevailed, and Virginians will never forget this unlawful attempt to rob them of their voice in Congress.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom had a different reaction, claiming <a href="https://x.com/GavinNewsom/status/2052770598368264693?s=20">&#8220;MAGA has rigged the system.&#8221;</a>
Tossing out the 10-1 Democratic maps reflects an intensifying nationwide redistricting fight that may favor Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections.
On Thursday, Tennessee Republican lawmakers enacted a new congressional map that would wipe out the last Democratic congressional seat. In late April, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a congressional map that could eliminate up to four blue seats. Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina are also expected to redraw their maps after the Supreme Court sharply restricted the use of race-based redistricting.
This is a breaking story. Refresh the page for updates.

Virginia Democrats Seek To Redraw House Maps In 2026 Midterm Push

Virginia Supreme Court Strikes Down Redistricting In Brutal Blow To Democrats

Democrats

Redistricting

When FBI agents and an armored vehicle rolled into a Portsmouth strip mall on Wednesday morning and ordered employees of a cannabis dispensary out with their hands up, Virginia Democrats had their narrative ready before the agents had finished bagging evidence. Sen. L. Louise Lucas, the most powerful Democrat in Richmond and the co-owner of the dispensary in question, declared that the search of her legislative office and her business was “about power and who is allowed to use it on behalf of the people.” House Speaker Don Scott blamed President Donald Trump’s “abuse of the Department of Justice.” Congressman Bobby Scott invoked the redistricting referendum Lucas had championed two weeks earlier. The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus warned of “personal political persecution.” Attorney General Jay Jones suggested the public should distrust the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 
There is one inconvenient fact that none of them addressed. 
The corruption probe that produced Wednesday’s warrants did not begin on January 20, 2025. It did not begin under Attorney General Pam Bondi or FBI Director Kash Patel. It began under former President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and FBI Director Christopher Wray. CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that the searches are part of a federal corruption investigation related to marijuana dispensaries that opened during the prior administration. The New York Times confirmed the same timeline. The investigation predates the redistricting fight by years, predates Trump’s second term entirely, and was approved at every step by a Justice Department that Democrats themselves repeatedly described as the most professional in modern history. 
That alone collapses the political-persecution defense. But the public record offers more. 
In April, a federal grand jury indicted Carlton Upton Jr. on three felony counts of wire fraud. Upton owns one of the dispensaries searched on Wednesday and, according to local reporting, previously worked with Lucas as a business partner. Federal prosecutors do not obtain wire fraud indictments from grand juries on a hunch, and they certainly do not execute coordinated raids on a sitting state senator’s office, her business, and additional locations across the Commonwealth without a federal magistrate first reviewing a sworn affidavit and finding probable cause. A judge signed those warrants. Whether or not Lucas herself is ever charged, something in the underlying conduct of this enterprise persuaded a court that evidence of federal crimes was likely to be found inside her office.
The Democratic response has been to act as if none of this matters. Lucas’s own statement did not address the substance of the investigation at all. She did not deny wrongdoing. She did not explain her financial relationship with the dispensary or with Upton. She pivoted directly to redistricting and Donald Trump. That is the move of a politician whose lawyers have told her not to engage on the merits, dressed up as a press release about democracy. 
Speaker Scott’s complaint that Fox News appeared on the scene before local outlets is similarly beside the point. Reporters are constantly tipped off about federal raids. The interesting question is not who arrived first at the parking lot. The interesting question is what was inside the boxes that agents carried out. 
There is a broader pattern worth noticing here, and it has nothing to do with Trump. Virginia legalized adult marijuana possession in 2021, but never built a functioning legal retail market. Into that vacuum stepped a gray-market industry of “gifting” shops, hemp-derived THC outlets, and storefronts operating in legal twilight, several of them with politically connected ownership. Sen. Lucas has been one of the General Assembly’s loudest advocates for expanding cannabis commerce, including legislation that would have routed tax revenue from sales into state coffers. When a state’s most powerful budget writer is also a co-owner of businesses operating in the very industry she is trying to regulate and tax, the conditions for federal interest are not manufactured by the White House. They are created by the senator. 
Virginians are entitled to a presumption of innocence for Sen. Lucas, and she will receive one. What she is not entitled to is the conversion of every serious federal investigation involving a Democrat into a referendum on Donald Trump. Wednesday’s raid was authorized by a federal judge, executed pursuant to a probe opened under a Democratic administration, and follows a federal indictment of her former business partner. The political-persecution script does not survive contact with the calendar. 
The voters of the Commonwealth deserve to know what happened in those Portsmouth offices. They will not learn it from a press release that mentions Donald Trump six times and the underlying facts zero.
***
Del. Wren Williams represents Virginia&#8217;s 47th House District (Patrick County and surrounding area). He is an attorney and a member of the House Republican Caucus.

US-NEWS-VA-LAWMAKER-FBI-RAID-1-VP

Virginia Democrats’ Weed Bust Corruption Defense Goes Up In Smoke

DW Opinion

Sen. L. Louise Lucas

The FBI raided an office and a cannabis dispensary connected to Virginia Democratic State Senate leader Louise Lucas, a key figure in the congressional redistricting battle.
The raid, which took place on Wednesday morning, was related to a public corruption investigation, a source familiar with the search told The Daily Wire. Fox News correspondent Alex Hogan told Fox News host Harris Faulkner that federal agents were executing &#8220;court-authorized criminal search warrants&#8221; at Lucas&#8217;s office in Portsmouth, Virginia — and a dispensary next door.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NOW: An FBI raid is unfolding at the office of Virginia Democratic State Sen. Louise Lucas — and it’s already drawing serious attention.
Multiple people on the scene are reportedly being taken into custody as agents move through the area.
The office sits near several cannabis… <a href="https://t.co/WIcn9xrzOy">pic.twitter.com/WIcn9xrzOy</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/2052047300961182188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The FBI is currently carrying out a raid at the office of Senator Louise Lucas in Portsmouth, VA. Here at this nearby cannabis dispensary, at least three people were taken into custody. Federal law enforcement say they’re conducting “court authorized criminal search warrants”. <a href="https://t.co/UL2c7yAk0L">pic.twitter.com/UL2c7yAk0L</a>
— Alex Hogan (@AlexHoganTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexHoganTV/status/2052049720147640820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;All of the staffers inside this building were told to come outside, I could hear them saying that they were not allowed back in the building,&#8221; Hogan said, reporting from the street in front of Lucas&#8217;s office. &#8220;Throughout the last hour, we&#8217;ve been seeing the FBI come and go, carrying boxes out of the building.&#8221;
&#8220;Just across the parking lot, next to where I am, there&#8217;s a cannabis dispensary, we know that the state senator is associated with several cannabis locations and dispensaries, and what we&#8217;re seeing is there a completely different scene with SWAT teams arrived with guns drawn, telling anyone in the building to come out of the building with their hands up.&#8221;
Hogan said that she&#8217;d also seen three people taken, put on the ground, cuffed, and taken into custody as the events of the morning had played out.
Lucas herself appeared on the scene at one point during the raid, and when Hogan asked for her reaction to the law enforcement action, she said that she had &#8220;no idea&#8221; what the FBI was doing there. Hogan confirmed that at least ten locations were being &#8220;looked at&#8221; by federal agents in connection with the same case.
The probe, Fox News congressional correspondent Bill Melugin reported, was launched during former President Joe Biden&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2052089902561476706">administration</a>.
Lucas, the President Pro Tempore of the Virginia Senate, was a key player in her party&#8217;s efforts to gerrymander a dramatic Democratic advantage in Virginia&#8217;s congressional map. She has often jabbed at newly elected Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), claiming that she has a &#8220;credibility problem.&#8221;
Wednesday&#8217;s raid was not Lucas&#8217;s first <a href="https://www.whro.org/local-news/2020-11-16/judge-dismisses-charges-against-sen-louise-lucas">brush with the law</a>, as she was previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-democrat-charged-with-multiple-felonies-for-her-alleged-role-in-destroying-statue">charged</a> with felony conspiracy and <span data-subtree="aimfl,mfl" data-processed="true" data-copy-service-computed-style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(10, 10, 10);">injury to a monument exceeding $1,000 after she took part in a 2020 protest where a Confederate monument was vandalized.
Her Democrat allies in the state, from then-Governor Ralph Northam to former-Governor Terry McAuliffe, suggested that Lucas was only charged because she was black. Portsmouth <a href="https://www.whro.org/local-news/2020-11-16/portsmouth-police-chief-angela-greene-fired">Police Chief Angela Greene</a>, who charged Lucas and 18 others who participated in the protest, was also black. Greene was fired before Lucas&#8217;s case was even heard, and the city officials responsible for her termination would only say that it was &#8220;a personnel matter&#8221; and that she could be fired at any time because she was an &#8220;at-will&#8221; employee. The charges against Lucas were dropped later that same year.
She also made headlines during the 2025 Virginia election cycle when she backed Attorney General Jay Jones (D-VA) after text messages surfaced in which he&#8217;d fantasized about shooting a Republican lawmaker. Posting an image that said &#8220;Virginia is for lovers, not snitches,&#8221; Lucas made it clear that her anger was directed at the people who&#8217;d exposed Jones rather than the candidate himself, who&#8217;d advocated for political violence.
As The Daily Wire&#8217;s Luke Rosiak <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-virginia-dem-depicts-jay-jones-assaulting-opponent-lashes-out-at-snitch">reported</a>, Lucas announced her plan to push ahead with her extra-legal redistricting efforts even then.
<blockquote>Lucas also reposted a comment calling her “ruthless,” and said she intends to redistrict the state (where Republican candidates received 43%, 45%, and 47% of the vote on Tuesday) has only a <a href="https://x.com/SenLouiseLucas/status/1985946539311702233" target="_blank" rel="noopener">single Republican</a> in Congress.
That would involve a similarly ruthless move. Democrats enacted a 45-day early voting period, which caused some people to vote before learning about Jones’ support for violence. But for purposes of amending the Constitution to get rid of nonpartisan redistricting – which requires giving voters the chance to punish politicians at the ballot box for trying such a move – they ignored the fact that many had already cast ballots before they initiated the controversial move, counting only Tuesday as the “election.”
Outgoing Attorney General Miyares issued an opinion saying that it would be illegal, but Lucas <a href="https://x.com/SenLouiseLucas/status/1983333834138759316" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said,</a> “Your opinions are sh*t. They’re f*cking sh*t.”</blockquote>
The newly drawn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-legal-fight-over-virginias-redistricting-has-just-begun">Virginia map</a> passed in an April election, but legal challenges have put the measure on hold.

Investiture Held For Cleo Powell, First Black Chief Justice Of Virginia’s Supreme Court

A Dem Power Broker’s Wild Morning As FBI Raids Hit Her Cannabis Dispensary

Feds Raid Office And Dispensary Tied To High-Powered Democrat

abigail spanberger

Confederacy

Statues

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger would not rule out supporting multiple new taxes, including on gym memberships, streaming services, and dry cleaning. 
The Democrat, who won comfortably last November on a message focused on affordability, said the tax bills proposed in the state legislature are worth considering to add to state revenue streams.
&#8220;I think there are worthy conversations to be had about what revenue generation looks like in the future as our economy changes in so many ways,&#8221; Spanberger <a href="https://x.com/TylerEnglander/status/2049477220591169727">told a local ABC affiliate</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
A lot has been made of taxes proposed by Democrats that never passed the General Assembly, including a bill to tax streaming services and more.
Republicans, including President Trump, have attacked Governor Abigail Spanberger over that bill and others.
Spanberger has pushed… <a href="https://t.co/KBWUnIy66W">pic.twitter.com/KBWUnIy66W</a>
— Tyler Englander (@TylerEnglander) <a href="https://twitter.com/TylerEnglander/status/2049477220591169727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
Earlier this year, Virginia Democrats <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB978">introduced bills</a> to expand state sales tax coverage to various services, including gym memberships, storage facility use, pet care, counseling, vehicle and home repair, <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB900">digital subscriptions</a>, and more.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Gym membership</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Storage facility use</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Dog walking</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Dog grooming</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Counseling</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Vehicle repair</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Home repair</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Dry cleaning</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Cosmetic services</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Software application services</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Computer-related services</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Website hosting and design</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Data storage, and</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Digital subscription services</li>
</ul>
Democratic lawmakers have also introduced bills that would tax <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB919">gun</a> and <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB763">ammunition sales</a>, along with <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1179">levies on delivery drivers</a> for services like DoorDash and Uber Eats.
The bills never came up for a vote and have since stalled in the state&#8217;s General Assembly, according to the governor&#8217;s office. Spanberger, however, appeared to sympathize with the intention of the proposed taxes.
&#8220;But I also want to recognize that many of the patrons who brought forth different ideas about how to bring out revenue that&#8217;s necessary, I think every idea, as long as it’s reasonable and makes some amount of sense, should be entertained and should be discussed,&#8221; Spanberger said.
&#8220;The one on streaming services, you know, you used to buy a DVD, there&#8217;d be a sales tax. Streaming is different. And so I recognize that there&#8217;s value in having these conversations,&#8221; she added.
The liberal governor’s willingness to consider new revenue sources comes amid pressure from the White House.
“I can’t believe what this new Governor, Spanberger, has done to the Commonwealth — So sad!” <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116386141086849907">President Trump wrote in a Truth Social post</a> last month. “This went from a thriving and powerful place, one envied by all, to a Commonwealth run by a person who has no concept of Low Taxes and Economic Strength.”
Spanberger’s office forcefully pushed back, insisting that none of the proposed taxes have been enacted and criticizing what it described as “the volume of misinformation — spread across social media and repeated in press coverage.”
&#8220;The array of taxes that the President asserts move forward in Virginia is sort of ludicrous,&#8221; Spanberger said in the interview. &#8220;But whether I would ever sign a bill is wholly dependent on, I think, as evidence from my recent actions, is wholly predicated on what is actually in the bill, and how it is outlined.&#8221;

Young slim woman in sportswear doing plank exercise on mat in modern studio

Why Hitting The Gym Could Soon Cost You More Under Dem Governor

Taxes

A former FBI official who oversaw the agency&#8217;s production of an infamous memo targeting “Radical Traditional Catholics” joked about how it would make good fodder for a memoir, according to emails viewed by The Daily Wire. 
Stanley Meador, who now works in Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger&#8217;s administration, ran the FBI’s Richmond field office when it produced an <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/fbi-anti-catholic-memo.pdf">internal memo</a> attempting to link traditional Catholic beliefs to criminal activity. After backlash to the memo, Meador downplayed it and suggested that one of the agents who produced it include it in their memoirs, according to emails released by the Justice Department. 
“No apology needed [redacted],” he wrote on July 7, 2023. “I’m glad you are on the team and thankful for your commitment. Keep that head up, this too shall pass. Will make for a great chapter in your memoirs some day!”
<div id="attachment_1086743" style="width: 1601px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1086743" class="size-full wp-image-1086743" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM.png" alt="" width="1591" height="495" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM.png 1591w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM-300x93.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM-1024x319.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM-768x239.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM-1536x478.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1591px) 100vw, 1591px" />Justice Department report.</div>
The emails were included in a Justice Department report released Thursday morning on anti-Christian bias from the federal government during the Biden administration. 
The document, referred to as the “Richmond Memo,” relied on the leftist Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), now facing criminal wire fraud charges, to link racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists with what the agency called “radical-traditionalist” Catholic beliefs. The memo was retracted shortly after it was leaked in February 2023, generating outrage from Republican lawmakers and Catholics. 
Meador’s July 7 email came after one of the FBI agents involved in crafting the memo apologized over the document.
“I am terribly sorry for all that everyone has had to endure as a result of this product. Each person negatively impacted is a trusted colleague and/or supervisor whom I deeply respect and admire,” the unidentified FBI employee wrote. “I feel personally responsible as I should have known the potential DT pitfalls and the susceptibility to politicization surrounding this paper better than anyone. Thanks for supporting us and please accept my sincerest apologies.”
Meador, now <a href="https://www.governor.virginia.gov/cabinet/name-1081469-en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Secretary</a> of Public Safety and Homeland Security in Virginia, was removed from the FBI in June 2025 after serving for over two decades with the agency. 
The Richmond Memo was an FBI product known as a “Domain Perspective,” or an internal threat assessment document. The document argued that the FBI should pursue threat mitigation based on the interest in violent extremists in so-called “radical-traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology.” Using SPLC data, the FBI identified nine of these groups.
Other documents included in Thursday&#8217;s Justice Department report showed that intelligence officers inside the FBI expressed concerns about the citation of the SPLC, but were ignored by leadership. 
“This product cites more subjective information from SPLC (a list of hate groups) without examining SPLC’s threshold for determining a hate group or explanation of how that threshold aligns with the FBI’s definition,” one intelligence officer wrote. “This product’s Source Summary Statement does not address factors that would affect the quality and credibility of SPLC as a source for subjective information, such as it previously issuing apologies and retracting its naming of individuals or groups as extremist.”
The DOJ wrote in its anti-Christian bias report that the FBI used “an unsubstantiated claim by the Southern Poverty Law Center that several traditional Catholic churches were ‘hate groups’ — as justification to launch a two-pronged attack against traditional Catholics.”
“FBI Richmond thus assessed that traditional Catholics and racially motivated violent extremists may share ‘common cause’ on issues of ‘abortion rights, immigration, affirmative action, and LGBTQ protections,’” the DOJ wrote Thursday. “In an appendix, the Domain Perspective cited to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s identification of radical traditional Catholics.”
As criticism mounted, former President Joe Biden&#8217;s FBI Director Christopher Wray said the Richmond Memo did &#8220;not reflect FBI standards.”
“We do not conduct investigations based on religious affiliation or practices, full stop,” Wray said. “We have also now ordered our inspection division to take a look at how this happened and try to figure out how we can make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
In an interview with the task force investigating anti-Christian bias, FBI Director Kash Patel said his team did a deep dive into the Richmond Memo. 
“We came to learn that companies like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League were out there working with the FBI, giving them false information to generate a memo that allowed law enforcement a [] &#8216;justification&#8217; to go after and attack people of faith,” Patel said. 
The DOJ report also details how the Biden administration targeted pro-life Christians for peaceful protests and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-biden-partnered-with-abortion-activists-to-track-and-imprison-pro-lifers?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=BREAKING%3A+How+Biden+Partnered+With+Abortion+Activists+To+Track+And+Imprison+Pro-Lifers">outlines</a> other Biden-era policies that suppressed Christian expression.
The release of the report comes one day after The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-biden-doj-lawyers-fantasized-about-prosecuting-catholic-nuns-emails-show?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=Exclusive&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Biden+DOJ+Lawyers+Fantasized+About+Prosecuting+Catholic+Nuns%2C+Emails+Show">obtained text messages</a> from Biden-era DOJ prosecutors discussing their desires to target Catholic nuns. One prosecutor said he would &#8220;like to prosecute any nun who still wears the head habit,&#8221; when working on January 6-related cases.

MixCollage-29-Apr-2026-03-15-PM-9949

READ IT: The Internal ‘Joke’ That Followed The Biden-Era FBI Targeting Of Catholics

Biden Administration

Catholic Church

Christopher Wray

Department of Justice

kash patel

Trump Administration

The only thing thicker than Hakeem Jeffries’ hypocrisy is the smog of self-delusion that follows him into every room, choking the life out of the very truths he claims to uphold.
Last week, Jeffries, the House minority leader, was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkJG--0ScE0">practically doing a victory lap</a> in the end zone after Virginia Democrats pulled off the ultimate &#8220;Democracy™&#8221; maneuver: convincing 51.5% of voters to scrap an independent commission so the General Assembly could gerrymander a 10-1 split. To Jeffries, this wasn&#8217;t a power grab; it was a &#8220;big victory for America&#8221; and a &#8220;march toward a more perfect union.&#8221; Apparently, a &#8220;more perfect union&#8221; looks exactly like a map where half the voters get 90% of the representation.
Jeffries and the &#8220;Dollar-Store Obama&#8221; brigade framed this as a noble &#8220;firewall&#8221; against the orange man in the White House. Even Barack Obama emerged from his latest Netflix production to explain that gerrymandering is actually fine, as long as Democrats do it to &#8220;level the playing field.&#8221; It’s a bold strategy: saving democracy by destroying it first.
But fast forward to Monday, April 27, and Jeffries has suddenly rediscovered the sanctity of &#8220;Fair Districts.&#8221; The moment Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suggested that the Sunshine State—which has seen a decade of growth in just three years—might need its own mid-decade tune-up, Jeffries’s halo reappeared.
Jeffries took to X to huff and puff about &#8220;blatant partisan gerrymandering&#8221; and &#8220;nakedly targeting communities of color.&#8221; He actually wrote, &#8220;See you in Court,&#8221; without a hint of a blush, despite the fact that a Virginia judge just tossed his own party’s referendum into the trash for being unconstitutional.
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The DeSantis Dummymander blatantly violates Florida’s Fair Districts Amendment banning partisan gerrymandering.
It also violates the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by nakedly targeting communities of color. 
See you in Court. <a href="https://t.co/DeDqW84s7M">pic.twitter.com/DeDqW84s7M</a>
&mdash; Hakeem Jeffries (@hakeemjeffries) <a href="https://twitter.com/hakeemjeffries/status/2048812217915642288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The hypocrisy is so thick you could carve it. When Virginia Democrats attempt a 10-1 sweep, it’s a &#8220;march toward justice.&#8221; When DeSantis looks at a map, it’s a &#8220;Dummymander&#8221; and a violation of the 14th Amendment. Jeffries has <a href="https://x.com/Breaking911/status/2046984191716340211">told</a> Florida Republicans to &#8220;F around and find out,&#8221; which sounds a lot like a threat from a guy whose own &#8220;victory&#8221; is currently stuck in judicial purgatory.
DeSantis, ever the happy warrior, has <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2047020226785493096">responded</a> by offering to pay for Jeffries’ plane ticket to Florida. He even offered to take him fishing.
It’s a generous offer: Jeffries could use the time on the water to practice his latest trick—complaining about the &#8220;rigged system&#8221; in Florida while the ink is still wet on his own attempt to rig Virginia.
If Jeffries wants a war, he’s found a battlefield, but he might want to check his own backyard before he starts crying about the neighbors&#8217; fences.

Hakeem Jeffries

High Priest Of Hypocrisy: Hakeem Jeffries Demands Fairness In Florida Only After Rigging Virginia

Congress

Ron DeSantis

The nationwide mid-decade redistricting battle appears to be entering its final stretch, with major developments unfolding in Florida, Texas, and Virginia.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday unveiled his proposed congressional map that could add up to four GOP- leaning seats, as lawmakers prepare to take up the plan during a special session that kicks off on Tuesday.
&#8220;Florida got shortchanged in the 2020 Census, and we’ve been fighting for fair representation ever since,&#8221; DeSantis told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ron-desantis-unveils-new-florida-congressional-map-would-give-gop-extra-four-seats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>. &#8220;Our population has since grown dramatically, and we have moved from a Democrat majority to a 1.5 million Republican advantage. Drawing maps based on race, which is reflected in our current congressional districts, is unconstitutional and should be prohibited.”
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Texas’s congressional map to move forward, shooting down a lower court ruling that had blocked it over claims of race-based gerrymandering. The map is expected to produce five Republican-leaning seats, according to the <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/27/texas-redistricting-map-ruling-us-supreme-court-upheld-2026-midterms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas Tribune</a>, and the high court had previously signaled in December that it was likely to allow the plan to stand.
“This was an intentional effort to limit the power of people of color in a state known for going to extremes to suppress the vote,” said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “It is one of the most blatant examples yet of modern-day racial gerrymandering, under the thin guise of partisanship.”
In Virginia, the state Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in a closely watched case that could determine the fate of a newly approved congressional map. Voters last week narrowly backed a constitutional amendment that would shift the state&#8217;s delegation from a 6-4 split to a 10-1 Democratic advantage.
If the Virginia court blocks the new map, it could significantly alter the broader redistricting fight and determine which party will come out on top.
“Hang in there. This isn’t over in Virginia, and that’s just the Virginia chapter,&#8221; former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a Republican, told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-dem-power-grab-faces-courtroom-showdown?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Virginia+Dem+Power+Grab+Faces+Courtroom+Showdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a>. &#8220;I think there’s a lot of regret across the country about the redistricting play in Virginia.”
With Republicans holding a narrow 218-212 majority in the House, and five seats currently vacant, the outcome of these redistricting battles will play a decisive role in determining control of Congress.

Governor DeSantis And ICE Announce Largest Joint Immigration Enforcement Operation In Florida History

Map Wars Heat Up As DeSantis, Supreme Court, And Virginia Clash Over Congressional Lines

Texas

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) swept up a woman believed to be an MS-13 killer, who was hiding in a Washington, D.C., suburb.
Idalia Isabel Morales-Mejia, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was wanted in her home country over charges of aggravated homicide and illicit associations before she was nabbed, <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/meet-one-medias-non-criminals-ice-washington-arrests-another-illegal-alien-fugitive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ICE. Authorities in El Salvador notified ICE in February that they believed Morales-Mejia was in Northern Virginia.
The Salvadoran woman was charged with her alleged crimes in 2013, ICE said.
Once ICE officers learned of her possible presence in the area, they began looking for her. They eventually caught her in Woodbridge.
On March 12, ICE arrested her in Woodbridge, the agency said.
“Idalia Isabel Morales-Mejia is not only a known associate of the notorious MS-13 transnational criminal organization, but she apparently attempted to flee justice in her native country by illegally residing in Virginia,” ICE Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Robert Guadian said in a statement Thursday.
Guadian took aim at some members of the media who have criticized ICE for arresting illegal immigrants who lack any rap sheets. The ICE official said the narrative is all wrong.
“The media would consider her to be a ‘non-criminal’ because she has no known criminal history in the United States — despite the fact that she is facing charges for aggravated homicide in El Salvador. ICE Washington, D.C. will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from our Washington, D.C. and Virginia communities,&#8221; Guadian said.
Morales-Mejia entered the United States as what&#8217;s known as a gotaway, meaning she crossed the border illegally without facing apprehension, ICE said. It is not known when exactly she entered the country.
Virginia has become a hub for illegal immigrant crime.
Another illegal immigrant from El Salvador, who was convicted of groping multiple female students at a Virginia high school, was sentenced Tuesday to just 360 days behind bars and two years of probation, <a href="https://katv.com/news/nation-world/illegal-immigrant-sentenced-groping-girls-fairfax-high-school-israel-flores-ortiz-sentencing-assault-groped-multiple-students-el-salvador-victim-courtroom-attorney-statements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to 7News.
A Guatemalan illegal immigrant, Luzvin Orvando Garcia Moran, 28, allegedly tried to rape a woman as she was waiting for her rideshare in Arlington, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/04/15/ice-asks-governor-spanberger-and-virginia-sanctuary-politicians-arlington-county" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Thursday.
Fairfax County, which notoriously operates as a sanctuary jurisdiction, has seen three murders tied to illegal immigrant suspects in 2026.
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🚨NEW: <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DHSgov</a> Secretary <a href="https://twitter.com/SecMullinDHS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecMullinDHS</a> says Fairfax County officials and Gov. Abigail Spanberger need to do their jobs and protect Virginians amid an illegal immigrant crime spree in Northern Virginia. <a href="https://t.co/YUdSlB0ZwM">pic.twitter.com/YUdSlB0ZwM</a>
— Nick Minock (@NickMinock) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickMinock/status/2047072785747345805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has faced some of the blame after ending agreements between local authorities and ICE.
In a recent interview with 7News, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin called out Spanberger over the lack of &#8220;cooperation.&#8221;
&#8220;If we want to combat crime, which every law enforcement agency and every judge and every elected official should honestly all be on the side of fighting crime and making our streets safe, and we&#8217;re not seeing that under the current leadership,&#8221; Mullin said.

Wanted_Murderer

Suburban Mom? Try Wanted Murderer Tied To One Of The Deadliest Gangs

El Salvador

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

MS-13

In November 2020, by a margin of nearly two to one — 66 percent to 34 percent — Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment creating a bipartisan redistricting commission to draw the state’s legislative maps. The measure carried every county and independent city in the Commonwealth except one. It was a resounding expression of the public will: Virginians wanted politicians out of the mapmaking business.
The result? Virginia has arguably the fairest maps in the entire country.
On April 21, 2026, that reform was undone. A new referendum, jammed through with just 51.5% of the vote, handed the power to draw congressional districts back to the Democrat-controlled General Assembly. A reform that took years of bipartisan coalition-building to enact was reversed in a single special election by a razor-thin margin. What Democrats did to get here was not merely aggressive. It was egregious — a systematic dismantling of Virginia’s constitutional safeguards that exist precisely to prevent this kind of thing.
Start with the money. Total spending on the referendum exceeded $90 million — the most expensive ballot measure in Virginia history. The “yes” side spent roughly $65 to $70 million, much of it through dark-money nonprofits like House Majority Forward. The “no” side raised approximately $23 million — a ratio of roughly 3-to-1. But even that understates the imbalance. The “no” side’s money arrived late. For weeks, Virginia voters were saturated almost exclusively with “yes” messaging. By the time opposing voices reached comparable volume, hundreds of thousands of early votes had been cast. In the critical early phase, the spending disparity was more like 10-to-1.
But the money is only half the story. The deeper scandal is how Democrats manipulated the constitutional amendment process itself — and here, the details matter.
Virginia’s Constitution does not allow the General Assembly to amend the state’s Constitution on a whim. Article XII, Section 1, prescribes a deliberately slow, two-step process. First, both chambers must pass a proposed amendment. Then a new election of the House of Delegates must occur.  And only after that intervening election, and a second passage by the new legislature, may the amendment go to voters — and even then, not sooner than ninety days after final passage. These requirements exist to prevent a single legislative majority from bulldozing a constitutional change through before the public can react.
Democrats violated every one of these constitutional safeguards.
The first passage of the proposed amendment occurred during a resurrected special session called in May 2024 to address a budget dispute. Democrats argue that session was never formally adjourned, and thus they could use it to pass a redistricting amendment that had nothing to do with the budget. Under Virginia law, special sessions are governed by the scope of their call. The governing resolution, HJR 6001, was limited to budget matters. Expanding it to include a constitutional amendment would have required a two-thirds vote — a vote that never occurred. A Tazewell County judge found this violated Article IV, Section 6, and Article V, Section 5 of Virginia’s Constitution, and declared it “void, ab initio” — void from the beginning.
The intervening-election requirement was equally flouted. Because the first passage was engineered on October 31, 2025 – six weeks after voting had begun in Virginia’s 2025 election, rather than before a general election of House of Delegates members, there was no true intervening election between the first and second passages. The voters never had the chance that Article XII guarantees them: to pass judgment on the legislators who would cast the second, decisive vote. Democrats simply skipped that step.
Then there is the 90-day rule. Article XII, Section 1, states plainly that a proposed amendment may not be submitted to voters “sooner than ninety days after final passage by the General Assembly.” This is not ambiguous. It is a bright-line requirement written into the Constitution. On April 22, a Tazewell County Circuit Court judge ruled that this requirement was not met — that the timeline from second passage on January 19, 2026, to the commencement of early voting on March 6, 2026, fell far short of 90 days.
Finally, entirely apart from the procedural violations, the maps themselves are under challenge. Article II, Section 6, of the Virginia Constitution requires that “every electoral district shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory.” A hearing on the proposed maps’ compliance with this requirement was held Monday in Richmond Circuit Court, where a ruling is pending.
All four challenges now converge on the Supreme Court of Virginia, which will render the final judgment. This is not a federal question — the challenges are rooted entirely in the Virginia Constitution, and federal courts have no jurisdiction over how a state interprets its own Constitution.
The courts will determine whether what happened was illegal. But there is no serious question about whether it was wrong. Democrats resurrected a dead special session, bypassed the intervening-election requirement, ignored the 90-day waiting period, and flooded a low-turnout special election with tens of millions in dark money — all to undo a bipartisan reform that Virginians approved by 2-to-1 just six years ago. The Virginia Constitution was written to prevent exactly this. Whether its protections will hold is now in the hands of seven justices in Richmond.
***
Ken Cuccinelli is the former Virginia attorney general and former acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Trump’s Redistricting Bids Near End With Virginia, Florida Moves

Virginia’s Redistricting Vote: Where Money Talks And Fairness Walks?

Elections

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