In our effort to combat corruption and undue utility monopoly influence in Virginia’s energy sector, Clean Virginia Fund, Clean Virginia’s Political Action Committee, operates with a transparent, predictable giving policy for the General Assembly: we will donate $2,500 and $5,000 a year to House Delegate or State Senator candidates or incumbents, respectively, if they refuse contributions from Virginia’s regulated utility monopolies (i.e., Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company) and their employed registered lobbyists and do not own stock in those corporations. This policy means that we support legislators from both parties and a wide variety of political viewpoints, and often may not agree with these legislators on issues beyond the scope of having a principled stance against accepting money from the utilities they regulate.
However, some actions are so egregious and contrary to the values of our organization that we must on occasion make exceptions to this universal giving policy. Clean Virginia Fund revised our giving policy last fall to ensure it was in line with these organizational values, including the respect and dignity for all people and communities and a commitment to ethical standards and the integrity of the democratic process.
Due to his reprehensible statements denigrating the LGBTQ community, Clean Virginia Fund concluded last year it would no longer provide campaign funding to Delegate Dave LaRock, who had previously received a standard contribution for House of Delegates members who refuse utility monopoly money. Delegate LaRock’s recent promotion of baseless conspiracy theories about the results of the November Presidential election, followed by his attendance at the events of January 6 and comments that the insurrectional violence was the result of “paid provocateurs” are also of grave concern. These actions are anathema to the values of our organization and reinforce our conclusion that Delegate LaRock will no longer be eligible for our standard contribution.
– Brennan Gilmore, Clean Virginia Executive Director