Virginia attorney general debate centers on Jay Jones' violent texts

Republican Jason Miyares and Democrat Jay Jones faced off in a contentious debate for Virginia attorney general Thursday that focused in large part on the recently surfaced violent texts that Jones sent three years ago

Republican Jason Miyares and Democrat Jay Jones faced off in a contentious debate for Virginia attorney general Thursday that focused in large part on the recently surfaced violent texts that Jones sent three years ago.

In their only debate before the November election, Miyares, the incumbent, repeatedly slammed Jones over the texts, suggesting they proved he was unfit to be Virginia’s top law enforcement officer.

“We have seen a window to who Jay Jones is and the way he thinks of people that disagree with him,” Miyares said early on in his opening statement. “Abraham Lincoln said that character is what you do in the dark when no one is watching — but now we know what he was doing in the dark.”

Moments later, Miyares went on the attack again on the topic, addressing Jones directly.

“Jay, if you were to apply to be a line prosecutor in not just in my office, but any attorney general office in the country, you would not pass a background check. And right now you may say that you are sorry, but look back at what happened. You had three years to say you’re sorry, Jay, and you didn’t. Three years to actually recognize what you did was horrific. You chose to stay silent.”