RICHMOND, Virginia – State Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) told senators Thursday that she had delivered information about the 2020 election to Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office on Tuesday. She pushed several budget amendments that would have spent millions of dollars on investigations both into the 2020 election and on future elections, but her amendments received vigorous opposition from Democrats and feeble support from Republicans.
“We presented quite a bit of data and information, our team did, to the attorney general’s office the day before yesterday, and one of their comments was that they need more time and more resources to do that investigation,” Chase said during debate over budget amendments.
Chase told senators Thursday that she had delivered information about the 2020 election to Attorney General Jason Miyares’ Office on Tuesday.
“We presented quite a bit of data and information, our team did, to the attorney general’s office the day before yesterday, and one of their comments was that they need more time and more resources to do that investigation,” Chase said during debate over budget amendments.
“Today we presented evidence of gross election irregularities found not just in 2020 but a number of elections to the Attorney General’s office. Too much information to present in one meeting so we are scheduling a second meeting. Election integrity matters,” Chase said in a Tuesday Facebook post.
Office of the attorney general spokesperson Victoria LaCivita told The Virginia Star in a statement, “Senator Chase requested a meeting with staff in the Office of the Attorney General, which oversees election law. Our team met with her, as they would any sitting State Senator who requests a meeting. The OAG does not comment on specifics of internal meetings. The Attorney General was not present.”
One of Chase’s amendments would have spent $70 million on a full forensic audit of the 2020 election. State Senator Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) asked Chase if she would support a tax increase to cover the costs.
“We received $4.2 billion last year from the federal government. Maybe we could use some of that,” Chase said.
Ebbin said, “I just want to state for the record that this amendment was brought from the darkest corners of the internet, and it’s a conspiracy theorist’s bonanza that I would hope we will defeat.”
Most of Chase’s budget amendments were defeated in unrecorded voice votes, but Democrats forced Republicans to go on the record in a recorded vote over Chase’s forensic audit amendment. Chase is not a member of the Senate Republican Caucus, and the forensic audit amendment was defeated 27 to four, with only Chase, State Senator Mark Peake (R-Lynchburg), State Senator Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania), and State Senator Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia Beach) voting in favor. Kiggans and Reeves are both running for Congress. There are 19 Republicans in the Senate. Afterwards, State Senator Ryan McDougle (R-Hanover) and State Senator Bill Stanley (R-Franklin) said they also meant to vote in favor of the amendment.
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Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo by Eric Burk.
