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Former elections official in Virginia sues the state attorney general

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Former elections official in Virginia sues the state attorney general


A Virginia elections official who faced criminal charges, later dropped, over a botched vote count in the 2020 presidential election sued the state attorney general Thursday, alleging malicious prosecution.

Michele White says in the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Richmond, that her prosecution by Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares was “celebrated” by supporters of former President Donald Trump who claimed fraud in the vote count and “by those associated with the ‘Stop the Steal’ movement as a validation of their message.” The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Miyares’ office did not immediately respond to an email Thursday seeking comment.

White was the registrar in Prince William County, Virginia’s second-most populous county, in 2020. Miyares indicted White in 2022 on charges of corrupt conduct, making a false statement and willful neglect of duty for errors in the county’s 2020 vote count.

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At the time, there was little explanation in court papers or from public officials about exactly what went wrong with the vote count. The criminal case against White disintegrated, and in January prosecutors dropped all charges against White.

It was then that Prince William County election officials finally revealed what had gone wrong in the count. In the presidential race, the county mistakenly shorted Joe Biden by 1,648 votes and overreported Trump’s count by 2,327. The 3,975-vote error in the margin of victory was immaterial in a contest that Biden won by 450,000 votes in Virginia and more than 60,000 votes in Prince William County.

Counts were off by lesser margins in a U.S. Senate and a congressional race.

White’s successor as county registrar, Eric Olsen, said the majority of errors occurred in “split precincts,” in which one precinct is home to two congressional districts. The county’s voting system did not split the presidential vote by congressional district. The state system required them to be split that way. The errors occurred in trying to conform the county data with the state requirements, Olsen said.

White’s lawsuit contends that she was unfairly demonized even though she was not personally responsible for the errors, and that her prosecution was used to justify the existence of Miyares’ Election Integrity Unit and placate his Republican base.

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“Miyares campaigned on promises to investigate so-called threats to election integrity and fight ‘election fraud,’ echoing more explicit calls from political extremists who baselessly call into question the integrity and validity of the 2020 election,” the lawsuit alleges.

Corey Stoughton, one of White’s lawyers, who is working with a group called Protect Democracy in filing the lawsuit, said in a phone interview that White’s prosecution “created the justification for voters to continue to be deceived” about the legitimacy of the 2020 election.

The case against White was the only criminal prosecution brought by the Election Integrity Unit, which Miyares formed in 2022.



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Ding! Ding! Virginia Beach trolley season kicks off May 10

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Ding! Ding! Virginia Beach trolley season kicks off May 10


VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Four new trollies will join the VB Wave Trolley fleet beginning May 10, when Virginia Beach Wave Trolley will resume its seasonal service along the oceanfront.

Trolley season lasts through September 25-27 for the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival.

A total of 14 new trollies will be part of the fleet this year, gradually replacing the older versions. The 29-foot trolley replica buses seat 29 people and feature wooden seats, with “sky-blue and sand-colored brown exterior,” according to Hampton Roads Transit (HRTS). Last year, 281,507 riders used the trolley system.

“This year marks the 42nd season of the VB Wave trolley, and these new trollies will provide a comfortable, safe, and efficient ride for visitors and locals alike,” William E. Harrell said. He is the president and CEO of HRT. “As part of our partnership with the city of Virginia Beach, the VB Wave makes it easy for everyone to visit attractions and explore the Oceanfront and beyond without the hassles of parking or the high cost of gas,” Harrell said.

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The following routes will operate May 10 through Sept. 27 for the Neptune Festival:

Route 30 is the Atlantic Avenue Trolley, running along the Oceanfront between JT’s Grommet Island Park to Fortieth Street. This service operates daily from 8 a.m.- 2 a.m.

Route 31 is the aquarium and campground trolley along General Booth Boulevard. It runs daily from 9:30 a.m.-11:10 p.m. through Labor Day and again on Fridays through Sundays from Sept. 11 through Sept. 27. Route 31 also extends to Atlantic Avenue and 18th Street.

Route 35 is the Bayfront Bus, providing service between Parks Avenue and 19th Street and Shore Drive and Pleasure House Road, enabling customers to visit Chesapeake Bay beaches, First Landing State Park, and Bayfront restaurants. It operates daily from 8 a.m.-12:30 a.m. through Labor Day and then Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only from Sept. 11 through the Sept. 27 festival

The VB Wave trolley connects to HRT bus lines, Routes 20 and 960, with access to the Newtown Road Light Rail Station and the Downtown Norfolk Transit Center.

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Fares are $2 one way or $4.50 for an all-day pass. Kids 17 and under ride free with a paying adult. Riders can pay for tickets using HRT’s GoMobile app and a credit card. Riders can create and manage multiple virtual cards and reload value for easy group boarding, and need to have a unique scannable virtual card for boarding. Children are not required to scan a virtual card or pay fare when boarding with an adult.

Customers can also tap to pay using credit and debit cards. KOA Campground, Virginia Gift Shop, nine Sunsations locations, and Ocean Wave Gift Shop sell tickets. Riders can also pay with exact change cash onboard the trolley.

In addition, HRT is introducing a new route in Virginia Beach beginning May 10. The new Route 981 will connect the Amazon Fulfillment Center (ORF 4) at 1795 Dam Neck Road with the Downtown Norfolk Transit Center.

Route 33 service is being restored to Atlantic Avenue and 68th Street 365 days a year to support the oceanfront hospitality industry.

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PHOTOS: Virginia Beach Police investigate firearm-related incident at Carriage House Apartments

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PHOTOS: Virginia Beach Police investigate firearm-related incident at Carriage House Apartments


VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia Beach Police are at the scene of a firearm-related incident at Carriage House Apartments Saturday afternoon, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.

The department also confirmed there are no shooting victims at this time.

10 On Your Side is at the scene and working to gather more information about the situation.

10 On Your Side will update this story when more information is available.

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Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.



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Hampton Roads leaders, experts weigh in on Virginia Supreme Court redistricting ruling

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Hampton Roads leaders, experts weigh in on Virginia Supreme Court redistricting ruling


PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia Democrats are not happy about a state Supreme Court decision declaring last month’s referendum to draw new congressional districts null and void.

Democrats, however, have filed a motion asking the Virginia Court to delay its 4-3 decision while they file an emergency appeal to the United States Supreme Court.

Virginia’s current map that favors Democrats by a narrow 6-5 margin will stay in effect for the midterms. Both sides, though, have a lot to say to say about today’s decision.

Two months ago, you couldn’t avoid the political ads and mailers on both sides of the issue.

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“Everybody remembers we got a few million dollars worth of flyers in our mailboxes, and everything with redistricting that whole referendum has now been overturned by the court decision,” said Old Dominion University Associate Professor of Political Science Jesse Richman.

On April 21, Virginia voters approved redrawing congressional maps that would have given Democrats a 10-1 advantage, giving them a strong chance to pick up four additional seats in November.

More than two weeks later, the Virginia Supreme Court rendered the results null and void, saying the required constitutional processes were not followed before this was put up for a vote. So what does that mean for Virginians?

“As it is, we stay with the districts we have,” Richman said. “If [Democrat] Bobby Scott’s your representative, he’s still your representative. The lines aren’t moving. If [Republican] Jen Kiggans is your representative, [she’s] still your representative.”

Scott and Kiggans spoke to 10 On Your Side shortly after today’s decision.

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“I’m disappointed,” Scott said. “People voted, three million people voted, it carried in 55 of the 100 House of Delegates districts, so the people spoke.”

“It’s a big day for Virginia today,” Kiggans said. “It’s a victory for the rule of law [and] it’s a victory for fairness.”

That split reaction has also been felt among voters, some even rallying in front of the Virginia Supreme Court. One of them was Hampton’s NAACP Branch President Gaylene Kanoyton.

“We have got to make sure that we mobilize and don’t let this get us down,” Kanoyton said. “We need to be energized.”

Virginia Democrats have vowed to fight Friday’s ruling, saying they intend to file an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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“I expect we’ll see more intense political campaigning in the midterms in this area because of the Supreme Court’s decision,” Richman said.



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