Large Donation to Virginia AG Candidate Raises Eyebrows
The biggest individual contributor to Jay Jones’ campaign for Attorney General in Virginia is a billionaire heir known for supporting various left-leaning candidates and causes. Recently, this donor made a substantial contribution to Zoran Mamdani, a socialist candidate for mayor in New York.
Elizabeth “Liz” Simmons, daughter of the now-deceased hedge fund manager James “Jim” Simmons, has contributed a total of $750,000 to Jones’ campaign through four donations in recent months. Campaign finance records provide detailed accounts of these transactions.
Her father, Mr. Simmons, founded the successful hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, accumulating a personal fortune worth $31.4 billion during his lifetime while also donating billions to charitable causes.
With Jay Jones now facing scrutiny, his association with Simmons is likely to attract even more attention. A report revealed that Jones had sent text messages where he fantasized about shooting his Republican colleague, former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, suggesting that Gilbert’s children, whom he referred to as “fascist,” should witness their father’s demise.
Concerns Arise Over Democratic Senator’s Donations to Controversial Candidate
The messages compared Gilbert to notorious figures like Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, expressing a troubling attitude toward Republican lawmakers. This prompted Republican officials in Virginia and elsewhere to demand Jones step back from his campaign, although Jones, as of Wednesday afternoon, remains in the race with backing from supportive Democrats.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who publicly criticized Jones’ messages, stated he still backs the campaign. Another Virginia Democratic Senator, Mark Warner, echoed Kaine’s concern, calling Jones’ writings “appalling” but refrained from asking him to withdraw, despite not commenting on his own $25,000 donation to Jones’ campaign.
Jones later described his remarks as “embarrassing and shameful,” expressing regret and stating he had reached out to Gilbert and his family.
Gun Control Group Contributes Significant Funds to Controversial Democratic Candidate
Simmons and her husband established the Heising-Simons Foundation in 2007, donating over $100,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and $40,000 to the Democratic National Committee, supporting progressive environmental, education, and social policy initiatives. Recently, she also contributed more than $40,000 to Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff’s campaign.
Furthermore, her family foundation is involved with at least two gun control advocacy organizations, including the Fund for a Safe Future and the Hope and Heal Fund, both managed by the New Venture Fund, according to reports.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Simmons were unsuccessful as of the latest updates.
