Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Legacy Media Play Catch-Up in Hashmi Case

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by

Bob Rayner
in , , ,

by Kerry Dougherty

Just as I predicted: The corporate media could no longer ignore the election controversy brewing in Virginia’s bright blue 15th Senate District and were finally forced to cover the uncomfortable topic of election “irregularities”.

The Daily Wire’s Luke Rosiak – the best reporter in Virginia – broke the story last weekend. The Richmond Times-Dispatch followed up on Tuesday.

That Senate race was won in a landslide last week by Ghazala Hashmi, a Democrat. Trouble is, it appears she actually lives in the 12th District – a GOP stronghold – and rented an apartment in the Democrat-friendly 15th to have an address there.

If that’s what happened, Hashmi wouldn’t be the first candidate to rent a little pied-a-terre to use occasionally and claim as a dwelling place to meet residency requirements. This sort of chicanery has happened before.

Of course it deprives citizens of having a representative who actually lives in their district, but no one cares about the peons. It’s all about winning.

But on her official forms – which Hashmi signed – she did not declare the home she’s owned in Midlothian since 1999. The form said a primary residence didn’t have to be declared.

So which is it, Senator? Is the Midlothian house your residence or do you actually live in the apartment you rented?

Look, I’m not naive enough to believe that Hayden Fisher – Hashmi’s Republican opponent – will automatically be declared the winner if it’s decided that she violated the law to get on the ballot. He claims that if she’s declared an ineligible candidate, he ran unopposed and should be the winner.

It’s more likely that Hashmi would be forced to vacate the seat and a special election will follow. Should that happen, Hashmi would probably be replaced by another Democrat and the Dems would hold their razor-thin majority in the Senate. On the other hand, why should a political party that nominated an ineligible candidate get a do-over?

The Times-Dispatch reports that falsifying the candidacy documents she signed is a felony, however. That’s rather serious.

It could also be the reason Hashmi’s been dodging the press for several days. Finally, she did what’s known as “breaking her silence” on Twitter, where reporters couldn’t pose pesky questions. She wrote:

Leave it to MAGA election deniers to spread lies and throw a tantrum over the outcome of an election. I’m proud the voters have re-elected me so I can keep serving our community, and I am excited to continue delivering results for Virginia families.

Gotta hand it to Hashmi, she went straight for the Dem party buzzwords: MAGA, election deniers, tantrums.

Memo to Hashmi: no one’s denying the election took place. Question is, did you lie to get on the ballot?

Well, did you?

Republished with permission from Kerry: Unemployed and Unedited.

 

 

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33 responses to “Legacy Media Play Catch-Up in Hashmi Case”

  1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    “Gotta hand it to Hashmi, she went straight for the Dem party buzzwords: MAGA, election deniers, tantrums.”

    If the shoe fits…

  2. Super Brain Avatar
    Super Brain

    Did she fib on any other documents subsequent to filing for reelection esp any loan documents?

  3. walter smith Avatar
    walter smith

    Nick Freitas paperwork error anyone?
    Anyone?
    Time to quit playing kissyface.
    The Dems don’t.
    If she was not a legitimate candidate, then only one person received votes…
    How the CommieDems play.

    1. Super Brain Avatar
      Super Brain

      She is not the one trying to steal an election.

      1. walter smith Avatar
        walter smith

        Wow. Russia Russia Russia anyone? If Pubbies played hardball like Dems, you might act reasonably. Try to jail the leader of the opposing party? Throw him in jail? Yeah, totally normal…

    2. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      Freitas missed filing deadlines in at least two elections. In both times, the State Board of Elections, under Democratic governors, allowed his name on the ballot.

      1. walter smith Avatar
        walter smith

        Was he not denied for the House of Delegates? Had to run a write in campaign? In 2019.

        1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
          Dick Hall-Sizemore

          You are right. The first time he missed the deadline was for the House of Delegates and the Board of Elections denied his appeal. He won as a write-in. The second time was for Congress and the Board allowed him to appear on the ballot.

          1. Stephen Haner Avatar
            Stephen Haner

            Look, she is guilty as charged and faked a place of residence. I’m fine with her being ejected on that basis, but a couple of others elected might face the same problem, including some R’s. If the wink-wink is going to stop, it must be uniform.

          2. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            And it should be stopped. But it won’t be.

  4. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Kerry is right about it not being unusual for candidates to rent apartments or make other “residency” arrangements in order to run for office in a district other than the one they normally live in. It’s not right, but it’s not necessarily illegal. As the RTD article she linked to notes, “The law is not clear about whether she would need to dwell there all of the time.”

    Kerry, of course, is ranting about a Democrat who does this and ignores similar chicanery by Republicans. If Kerry is really concerned about this issue, she should be taking issue with Delegate-elect Tim Griffin of Bedford County, along with Sen. Hashmi. It seems that the residence of Mr. Griffin has long been shrouded in mystery. At one point in a civil court proceeding, his lawyer told the judge that he really did not know his client’s legal residence. To qualify for the Republican primary for the House, his listed residence was a detached garage on the property of a house owned by a friend. According to Bedford County inspection officials, ” “this garage appears to both lack a full bathroom, and a certificate of occupancy, as well as the property itself appearing to lack the proper zoning ordinance to have a detached apartment from the regular living quarters of the house.” Many Republicans in the district contend that he was not a resident of the district. https://cardinalnews.org/2023/10/02/some-voters-dont-believe-candidate-tim-griffin-lives-in-his-district-they-hired-a-pi-to-investigate/

    Then there was the case of Mark Earley, Jr., who, two years ago, moved his family into his father’s house in order to declare that his residence in his race for elction to the House. https://www.wric.com/news/politics/local-election-hq/investigation-clears-virginia-house-candidate-mark-earley-jr-of-election-fraud/

    It is understandable why candidates do this. Why sell my house, pick up my family, and move to a new district and perhaps then lose the election? Sen. Hashmi can quiet the critics by announcing that she has put her house on the market and will be moving to a more permanent residence in her district in the near future.

    1. Matt Adams Avatar
      Matt Adams

      “Kerry, of course, is ranting about a Democrat who does this and ignores similar chicanery by Republicans”

      She acknowledged that in the article, what you’re engaging in, is called “Whataboutism”.

      “If that’s what happened, Hashmi wouldn’t be the first candidate to rent a little pied-a-terre to use occasionally and claim as a dwelling place to meet residency requirements. This sort of chicanery has happened before.”

      1. how_it_works Avatar
        how_it_works

        Happened with one Peter Farrell who ran for city council in Manassas Park, 2008. He got charged with election fraud. Charges were dropped when he resigned from the city council.

        1. Matt Adams Avatar
          Matt Adams

          It’s a game alright, if you don’t like it pass a law against it, they won’t though.

          It should be like getting in state tuition in some places, you have to be a resident for 18 months before you can even apply.

          1. VaPragamtist Avatar
            VaPragamtist

            Difference is that for in-state tuition, the presumption is that you aren’t a resident or only moved here for education. It’s up to the applicant to prove otherwise.

            The presumption for candidacy is “that domicile is at the address of residence given by the person on the application. The registrar shall not solicit evidence to rebut this presumption if the application appears to be legitimate, except as provided in 1VAC20-40-40 B and C.”

          2. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            VA is vague on that, other states require at least a year in the district you wish to run.

            It happens at all levels and it’s an injustice. There is now way you can represent the people if you don’t live among them.

          3. killerhertz Avatar
            killerhertz

            Representation in general is a farce

    2. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Kerry’s rant is not just a rant, it’s a repetitious rant.

      Ho, hum.

      1. Thomas Carter Avatar
        Thomas Carter

        Ho, hum?

        Would you want your “representative” to live outside of your district?

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          Doesn’t matter. Do you vote Republican or Democrat? Do you believe that YOUR interests are best served by one party over the other? If yes, why would you care if they live within a dozen miles of you or in North Carolina?

          Polarization has rendered quaint the notion of locale-driven representation and interests. With the exception of our fellow there in Harrisburg 99% of the topics in this blog are not regional except when used for examples for party based statewide solutions.

    3. VaPragamtist Avatar
      VaPragamtist

      State code requires residency to run for office. residency is basically abode + domicile.

      Abode is “a physical place where a person dwells. One may have multiple places of abode, such as a second home”.

      Domicile is a person’s primary home, the place where a person dwells and which he considers to be the center of his domestic, social, and civil life. Domicile is primarily a matter of intention, supported by an individual’s factual circumstances. Once a person has established domicile, establishing a new domicile requires that he intentionally abandon his old domicile.

      Not totally unrelated–the 2020 census and subsequent redistricting was the first time many rural localities used mapping technology, rather than relying on past maps. What resulted was slight changes to county borders. People who thought they lived in one county actually lived in another.

      An interesting story out of Southside: the chairman of a county’s BoS (also a recent VACO president), lived his entire life in that county (or so he thought). Worked in the county. Participated in county civic organizations. Donated in the county. Registered his car and paid his taxes. His kids went to the county schools. He was, without a doubt, domiciled in the county. close to two decades on the Board, he ran for reelection.

      But the registrars in the county and the neighboring county looked at the map and realized that several people, including the Board chair, didn’t live in the county. He may have been domiciled, but his abode was in the neighboring county. . .so he wasn’t a resident of the county. He withdrew from the election and resigned his seat.

    4. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      Mark Earley Sr. does have a very, very large house. Since two years I ago, I’ve seen it.

      The best outcome the R’s can get is a second election which Hashmi or another D could (would) then win. Still looks like grasping at straws to me. At this point the Board of Elections has certified her.

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        “At this point the Board of Elections has certified her.”

        Done deal.

        I suppose the GA has a loophole about admitting a member, like with Congress, but it’s a Santos dilemma at this point.

        1. Stephen Haner Avatar
          Stephen Haner

          Well, the Senate Ds will seat her but if there are only 20 of them….and the President votes with the 19 Rs….that’s how the fevered thinking is going. I’ve got better things to do.

      2. Matt Adams Avatar
        Matt Adams

        True, but what does someone living in Midlothian know about living in NOVA.

        Median House in Midlothian is $378,000, that would buy you a trailer in the area she’s representing.

        The only reason she was elected in the new District was because she had a D after her name. That area is nothing more than annexed D.C.

        Edit: Note, I made an incorrect statement on districts above.

        1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
          Dick Hall-Sizemore

          She was elected to represent the 15th Senatorial District. That district includes part of Chesterfield County and part of Richmond. She represented part of Chesterfield in her first term. Nowhere near Northern Virginia.

          https://www.vpap.org/offices/state-senate-15/district/

          1. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            Thanks for correcting my error.

            Still doesn’t change much though.

            Median Income 12: $89,098
            Median Income 15: $54,105

            Poverty 12: 6.6%
            Poverty 15: 13.8%

            Median Home Value 12: $339,400
            Median Home Value 15: $149,400

            So tell me again, what she knows about living in that district? She was elected because the laws are ambiguous and had a D after her name.

            Good enough for her to rep, but not good enough for her to live.

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Didn’t Amanda Chase also represent some of Chesterfield?

          3. Stephen Haner Avatar
            Stephen Haner

            She was lumped in with Sturtevant and he got the nomination.

          4. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            Thanks for correcting my error.

            Still doesn’t change much though.

            Median Income 12: $89,098
            Median Income 15: $54,105

            Poverty 12: 6.6%
            Poverty 15: 13.8%

            Median Home Value 12: $339,400
            Median Home Value 15: $149,400

            So tell me again, what she knows about living in that district? She was elected because the laws are ambiguous and had a D after her name.

            Good enough for her to rep, but not good enough for her to live.

    5. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      Perhaps people should simply run for office in the district in which they reside, and let residents of other districts run in those districts. Then they won’t have to worry about selling their homes either before or after the election.

      A person who truly wants to represent the people where they live would not run for office in district other than the one they live in. Only the selfish, the unethical, and the power-hungry care so little for the people they are supposed to represent.

  5. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    W. C. Fields, a devout(?) atheist, was once seen reading a Bible on a movie set. When questioned why he would read the Bible, he responded with “Ah yes, looking for loopholes, looking for loopholes.”

    The “address” requirement has loopholes you could drive a Mack truck through.

    1. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      “I think of the church often. Not because religion was closing in on me, but because for a long time my ass was sore from that hard, unupholstered pew.”

      — W. C. Fields

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