AG Jones Responds to Trump-Aligned, Thiel-Funded Effort Exploiting Civil Rights Imagery to Mislead Voters

AG Jones Responds to Trump-Aligned, Thiel-Funded Effort Exploiting Civil Rights Imagery to Mislead Voters

RICHMOND, Va. – New election filings revealed that a group backed by Peter Thiel — a Silicon Valley billionaire and one of Donald Trump’s most prominent financial backers who has helped fund Trump-aligned candidates and political efforts nationwide — has poured $2.5 million into Virginia to support a misleading and racially charged ad campaign ahead of the April 21 redistricting referendum.

The effort includes mailers targeting Black and senior voters that invoke imagery from the Civil Rights Movement and Jim Crow while also pushing a false narrative about President Obama’s opposition to the measure.

Attorney General Jay Jones issued the following statement:

“Peter Thiel, one of Donald Trump’s top billionaire backers, is spending millions in Virginia to push a campaign built on lies and racial division. These ads deliberately exploit the history of Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement to mislead Black voters and suppress participation. That is not just offensive. It is a modern playbook for voter suppression. My family lived through Jim Crow in Virginia. That history is not a political prop for Trump’s allies to weaponize to rig elections and manipulate voters. Virginians deserve facts, not fear. I will continue to stand up for civil rights, defend the integrity of our elections, and call out any effort to deceive voters and undermine our democracy.”

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