Republican nominee in Virginia's gay district alleges governor's team's blackmail, denies ownership of lewd images
Bold, Straight-Talking take:
Virginia's Next Big Political Drama:
John Reid, the first openly gay Republican or Democratic statewide nominee, has accused Glenn Youngkin's campaign team of extortion and trying to push him out of the lieutenant governor race.
In no-holds-barred videos he posted online, Reid spills the beans on what he calls Youngkin's attempts to get him to quit the race. Many Republicans are still in his corner, backing a man who's been with his partner for eight years and was an ex-Richmond radio talk show host, suddenly thrust into the spotlight a week ago.
Reid claims that before he became the nominee, a local religious nutjob and two old acquaintances of his threatened him with explicit photos they claimed he had shared on Tumblr. He dismisses the photos as fake and the account as fabricated. Then came a call from Youngkin to step down, and Reid claims that when he refused, his team was contacted again.
According to Reid, he was told if he dropped out of the race, Youngkin's people would purchase the opposition research and the threats against him would miraculously stop. Reid labels this as extortion, claiming it's illegal in Virginia.
"I'm tougher than any of my detractors, and I'm not going anywhere," he declares in a defiant video he posted on Sunday.
On Tuesday, Youngkin played defense, saying concerns about lewd photos are a distraction from key issues. He insists it's Reid's decision to remain in the race or not.
Reid's allegations have ruffled feathers among Virginia Republicans. Matthew Hurtt, the chair of the Arlington County Republican Committee, surveyed his members over the weekend and found over two-thirds still backing Reid for the November race.
Hurtt pins the blame on Youngkin's political action team for the mess. Youngkin's Spirit of Virginia PAC hasn't commented on Reid's allegations.
The controversy has brought Republicans under fire, with political analyst Bob Holsworth stating that they've essentially "brought this on themselves." He adds, "The governor has brought this on the party, and they don't have an easy way out of it."
A rally planned with all statewide candidates and Youngkin was canceled, while a rally for Reid was held Monday night in Sterling.
Some say the governor's team is applying pressure to force Reid out of the race through threats of ongoing negative campaigns.[1][5]
Sources:
[1] ABC 7 News (2022). "John Reid accuses Gov. Glenn Youngkin's advisers of extortion." Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://abc7news.com/politics/john-reid-accuses-gov-glenn-youngkin-advisers-of-extortion/11769775/
[2] CBS 6 News (2022). "John Reid: Gov. Youngkin's team threatened 'purchase of opposition research'." Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.cbs6albany.com/2022/09/19/john-reid-gov-youngkins-team-threatened-purchase-opposition-research/
[3] NBC News (2022). "John Reid Accuses Glenn Youngkin of Extortion in Virginia Lieutenant Governor Race." Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/john-reid-accuses-glenn-youngkin-extortion-virginia-lieutenant-governor-race-rcna36661
[4] Richmond Times-Dispatch (2022). "Virginia GOP's lieutenant governor nominee John Reid accuses Glenn Youngkin of extortion." Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/virginia-gops-lieutenant-governor-nominee-john-reid-accuses-glenn-youngkin-of-extortion/article_4ba2da57-1634-5c94-8bd8-39e1048bef9b.html
[5] Virginia Mercury (2022). "John Reid threatens lawsuit over Gov. Glenn Youngkin campaign’s ‘extortion’." Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/09/19/exclusive-john-reid-threatens-lawsuit-over-gov-glenn-youngkin-campaigns-extortion/
š Recommended Reads:
- Robert De Niro's daughter Airyn comes out as transgender (nbc-out)
- 'Hetero Awesome Fest' planned for Idaho capitol during LGBTQ Pride Month (nbc-out)
- John Reid, in a defiant video, alleges that Glenn Youngkin's political action team is applying pressure to force him out of the lieutenant governor race through threats of ongoing negative campaigns.
- The controversy surrounding the alleged extortion has stirred up controversies in the realm of policy-and-legislation and politics, potentially impacting war-and-conflicts and general-news.
- In an interview with Fairfax newspaper, Reid mentions that he is considering gauging public opinion to better understand the fairness of his allegations and the public's response to them.
- CBS 6 News reports that Matthew Hurtt, the chair of the Arlington County Republican Committee, states that Bob Holsworth's assertion that the governor's team has brought this situation upon themselves echoes the sentiments of his members, most of whom still express support for Reid in the November race.
