The Democratic candidate vying for Virginia’s Attorney General position faced arrest in 2022 for reckless driving. He avoided a prison sentence by completing 500 hours of community service, which he conducted through his own political action committee.
Jay Jones, the candidate, was pulled over for speeding—traveling at about 116 miles per hour—on January 21, 2022. This information emerged from a report by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
At 36 years old, he accepted a reckless driving charge, steering clear of Virginia’s mandatory one-year prison sentence for such offenses by agreeing to undergo 1,000 hours of community service along with a $1,500 fine.
He logged 500 hours volunteering with the NAACP Virginia State Conference, and the remaining hours were attributed to his own PAC, “Meet Our Moment.”
Leslie Sinbaum Stewart, a long-time advisor to Jones, provided a declaration confirming that he fulfilled his community service requirements, as indicated in court documents.
Stewart expressed gratitude for Jones’s contributions to the organization, stating in her letter to the court that “Mom is grateful for the time Jones gave the organization to promote our mission to train civic leaders.”
While Jones’s campaign did not respond to inquiries about the specifics of the volunteer work or the duration, they referred to his reckless driving incident as “a mistake.”
His statement reflected regret, saying, “A few years ago I made a speeding mistake that I regret.” He acknowledged his accountability, mentioning that he paid fines and completed his obligations to the court successfully.
Stewart could not be reached for immediate comment, and the political group has also been unresponsive to requests for further details.
Current Attorney General Jason Miyares, who is up against Jones in the upcoming November 4 election, expressed concern regarding the incident and questioned the legitimacy of Jones’s community service.
Miayres stated, “Instead of taking accountability for his actions, my opponent seems to have submitted to court to avoid a prison term by completing 500 hours of ‘community service’ for his own PAC, which isn’t classified as a charity under Virginia law.” He emphasized that such actions raise significant questions about Jones’s judgment and qualifications for the Attorney General role.
Jones’s first attempt to become Attorney General was in 2021, where he lost in the Democratic primary to Mark Herring, only to be defeated by Miyares later that year.
Recent reports also highlighted that Democrats were caught speeding 46 miles over the limit just weeks before a state election.
