Smyth County sheriff and attorney call on Jay Jones to drop out of Virginia AG race

SmythCountySheriffChipShulerandCommonwealth’sAttorneyPhillipBlevinsarecallingonVirginiaDemocraticAttorneyGeneralcandidateJayJonestodropoutoftheracefollowingviolenttextshemade. IntextmessagesreportedfirstbytheNationalReviewlastweek,JonesexpressedadesiretoshootformerVirginiaHouseSpeakerToddGilbertin2022.JonesalsoexpressedhopethatGilbert’schildrenwoulddie. ShulerandBlevinsissuedthefollowingstatementonMonday: AslawenforcementleadersinSmythCounty,weshareadeeprespectfortheruleoflawandthesacredtrustthepeopleofVirginiaplaceinthosewhoenforceit.TheOfficeofAttorneyGeneralisnotapoliticalprize:itistheCommonwealth’shighestlegalauthority,responsibleforensuringthatjusticeisappliedequallyandethicallytoall. RecentreportsregardingAttorneyGeneralcandidateJayJones’criminalspeedingcharge(116/70)andhismessagesfantasizingaboutthemurderofarespectedlawmakerandhisfamilyaredeeplytroubling.Thesearenotminorlapsesinjudgment;th