Youngkin 2024 speculation dampened as top adviser signs with DeSantis PAC

Ryan King

March 23, 12:56 PM March 23, 12:56 PM

Buzz about Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R-VA) interest in diving into the 2024 election scrum is fading after a top adviser joined a group aligned with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).

Jeff Roe, who co-founded Axiom Strategies, a Republican political consulting firm, has signed on with Never Back Down, a DeSantis-aligned political action committee expected to be a boost for the Florida governor's potential 2024 presidential campaign, according to multiple reports.

HERITAGE’S 50TH TO FOCUS ON NEW CONSERVATIVE LEADERS, DESANTIS AND YOUNGKIN

Axiom Strategies helped Youngkin eke out a victory in a strongly blue state back in 2021, which fueled Republican hopes that they would surf a red wave in the midterm elections that failed to materialize. Roe told confidants that he felt loyalty to Youngkin and anticipated Axiom would only work for one 2024 candidate, the Washington Post reported.

Youngkin stoked speculation that he is harboring presidential aspirations by crisscrossing the country during the run-up to the midterm elections and stumping for Republican candidates locked in contentious races. Some of those states included early primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.

Roe, who also served as a top strategist for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during his 2016 campaign, previously conveyed his belief that the 2024 GOP primary was a two-man race.

"This is a two-person race between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. Nearly 75% of the voters have chosen between those two," Roe told WHD News Sunday last month. "A lot of people were talking about a crazy barroom brawl. I don't think so at all ... there's simply no room — for a third and fourth or even fifth person in this race."

He later clarified that those remarks were not intended to diminish Youngkin, who is term-limited as governor.

On top of traversing key states, Youngkin has also maintained a robust national portfolio in conservative circles. Next month, he is set to attend a welcome reception for the Heritage Foundation’s 50th leadership summit, which spans April 20-21.

Youngkin is also slated to head to Texas to be a guest of honor at an event held by a billionaire Republican donor, in a trip that is set to coincide with a speech at former President George W. Bush's presidential library, NBC reported.

While stopping short of ruling out a run, Youngkin has seemingly downplayed his aspirations. During a recent donor retreat appearance, Youngkin appeared uninterested in feeding speculation about 2024, per the Washington Post.

Polling has consistently indicated that he is trailing former President Donald Trump and DeSantis by a considerable margin, failing to broach double digits.

Never Back Down was launched earlier this month by Ken Cuccinelli, who served as the attorney general of Virginia between 2010 and 2014. The group intends to serve as a financial springboard for DeSantis's potential presidential campaign. DeSantis has indicated that a campaign announcement could come sometime after the Florida legislature wraps up its business in May.

The Washington Examiner contacted Roe for comment.

Virginia government tells elite high school to ‘cut ties’ with Chinese government

Jerry Dunleavy

March 16, 11:44 AM March 16, 11:44 AM

The Virginia Education Department directed Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to “cut ties” with Chinese government-linked entities after it was revealed by the Washington Examiner that one of its elite high schools had collaborated with a Chinese military-linked group for years.

Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera sent a letter to FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid on Wednesday, pressing the school system on revelations that Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) and the TJHSST Partnership Fund have “accepted significant financial contributions from entities known to have connections to the Chinese Communist Party."

VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOL WORKED WITH CHINESE MILITARY-LINKED ORG

The Virginia-based school partnered with Tsinghua University High School, or TUHS, to assist it and China generally with adopting the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, and advanced lab research. TUHS is closely tied to Tsinghua University, considered by the Pentagon to be a Chinese military university.

Guidera told FCPS on Wednesday to "direct schools within your division to cut ties with CCP-linked partners” and said she had asked her department to “investigate the prevalence of such relationships between CCP-linked partners and local school divisions” across Virginia.

The Virginia education secretary said the revelations that “a Virginia high school accepted contributions from CCP-linked entities” were “concerning, and warrant a response regarding the nature of these funds.” Guidera told FCPS to say exactly how much money the TJ fund had received from the Chinese entities and how those funds were used, and whether any of the Chinese entities “provided any guidance, influence, or instructional materials related to content taught” at TJHSST.

Guidera also asked FCPS whether “any non-public student information” or “any instructional materials, class schedules, and individual performance or evaluation indicators” were provided to the Chinese entities.

The Virginia government inquiry comes following a Washington Examiner investigation into the saga.

The nonprofit organization Parents Defending Education (PDE) helped unearth the Chinese funding for TJHSST and had asked Virginia's Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to investigate.

“We are grateful that Gov. Youngkin and Secretary Guidera have taken swift steps to investigate the scope of this scandal — not only at TJ, but throughout the Commonwealth,” PDE President Nicole Neily said. “This incident highlights the acute need for federal lawmakers to address this problem going forward, and to mandate disclosure of foreign funding to America’s K-12 schools.”

FCPS recently attempted to defend the arrangement between TJHSST and the Chinese entities. Julie Moult, the media relations manager for FCPS, told the Washington Examiner last week that TJHSST is "world-renowned" and that "it is not unusual for elite public schools, colleges, and universities in the U.S. to benefit from donations and grants from various sources, including international sources.”

FCPS did not respond to a request for comment about the new state-level investigation.

The TJPF received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Tsinghua University as part of its agreement with TUHS. The TJPF also received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Ameson Education and Cultural Exchange Foundation, as well as the Chinese company Shirble, which were all led by men tied to China’s United Front Work Department, which manages Chinese government foreign influence campaigns.

WATCH: Youngkin teases his upcoming March Madness picks in promo video

Heather Hunter

March 11, 01:12 PM March 11, 01:12 PM

Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin released a social media video previewing a March 15 reveal of his upcoming picks for his March Madness bracket.

The released video on Friday was in advance of Selection Sunday for March Madness which falls on this Sunday, March 12. It is the day when the full bracket for the 68-team NCAA men's basketball tournament is unveiled.

In the video, college mascots from around Virginia are seen wandering the halls of the executive office of Youngkin as they attempt to lobby him ahead of his bracket announcement.

GLENN YOUNGKIN APPROVAL SOARS IN VIRGINIA, WOULD SINK BIDEN IN 2024

The governor is seen grabbing coffee at the office coffee machine, and as he walks away with his coffee in hand, the various mascots — Norfolk State University's Spiro the Spartan, James Madison University's Duke Dog, Virginia Commonwealth University's Rodney the Ram, and University of Virginia's Cav Man — are all lined up cheering him on.

Another scene shows the governor looking for a pen at his desk, and the mascots all rush to hand him one.

Dukes, James Madison University's mascot, is next seen helping walk the governor's dogs. The mascots Rodney the Ram and Cav Man try to help guard first lady Suzanne Youngkin and give tours of the governor's mansion to new visitors.

Spiro the Spartan then tries to lobby the governor with a shoulder massage in his office.

"Lobbying hasn't been this aggressive since the budget fight," a Youngkin staffer said in the humorous video.

The video closed with the message on the screen, "Governor Youngkin makes his picks. 3/15/23"

Last year, Youngkin picked all four Virginia schools to advance through the opening round, picked the Hokies to reach Final Four, and correctly picked Richmond to upset 5-seed Iowa.

The Virginia governor showed off his basketball skills while on the campaign trail in 2021 while challenging former President Barack Obama to a basketball game. The Republican played Division 1 basketball while in college at Rice University.

Youngkin education official explains sudden resignation: 'The buck stops with me'

Jeremiah Poff

March 09, 04:00 AM March 09, 04:01 AM

The former superintendent of public instruction in the administration of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) says she takes "full responsibility" for a mathematical error that significantly underestimated the amount of aid going to the state's schools.

In a Washington Examiner op-ed, Jillian Balow, the former superintendent of public instruction for Virginia, said, "the buck stops with me" and added that she took responsibility for the budgeting error.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS SIGNS ARKANSAS UNIVERSAL SCHOOL CHOICE BILL

"My leadership at the Virginia Department of Education wasn’t without controversy," Balow wrote. "Earlier this year, my team alerted me to a mathematical error, which resulted in a significant miscalculation of the estimated amount of basic state aid that would go to schools in the state’s two-year budget. The mistake was rectified, additional safeguards have been put in place, and I am confident the error will not occur again. As Virginia’s top education official, I take responsibility. The buck stops with me."

Balow praised Youngkin, who tapped her for the position following his election in November 2021, for his "commitment to empowering parents and reforming schools" and said that the state is positioned "as a beacon for other states (not just red [states]) that are committed to improving student outcomes."

"After having helped navigate two legislative sessions, I am stepping aside as Virginia’s State Superintendent. I continue to support Gov. Youngkin’s education agenda as vehemently today as I did after his 2021 victory," Balow wrote. "Gov. Youngkin will continue to expand learning opportunities for all students, engage parents in new ways, and uphold great educators."

Balow previously served as the state superintendent of public instruction for Wyoming. Her resignation was effective Thursday.

SEE IT: Youngkin requests investigation of school following hidden merit awards

Julia Johnson

January 03, 02:32 PM January 03, 02:32 PM

The leadership of Virginia's Thomas Jefferson High School, which hid National Merit awards from students, might soon face an investigation.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) announced Tuesday his request for Attorney General Jason Miyares to begin an investigation of the school's leadership after it made headlines nationwide for withholding notification of the awards from students and their families. They were only informed of the achievements after critical deadlines had already passed with respect to college scholarships.

PARENTS DESERVE THE TRUTH, NOT SABOTAGE BY THEIR CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS

“We need to get to the bottom of what appears to be an egregious, deliberate attempt to disadvantage high-performing students at one of the best schools in the country,” Youngkin said. “Parents and students deserve answers and Attorney General Miyares will initiate a full investigation. I believe this failure may have caused material harm to those students and their parents, and that this failure may have violated the Virginia Human Rights Act.”

Last week, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears brought attention to the scandal, calling it "reprehensible." She claimed she had reached out to the attorney general and governor to initiate an investigation, which she seems to have followed through on.

Principal Ann Bonitatibus reportedly was notified in April of the students who would be recognized in the coming fall. However, certificates were not provided to students until November.

A local mother, Shawna Yashar, called the act “theft by the state."

Education was a pivotal issue in Virginia's 2021 gubernatorial election, with many crediting Youngkin's commitment to parents for the win. The then-candidate ran on a platform of listening to parents and fighting against critical race theory and transgender policies in schools.

Tax rebate 2022: Virginia residents have just two days to claim rebate worth up to $500

Jack Birle

October 30, 11:00 AM October 30, 11:00 AM

Eligible Virginians have until the first day of November to file their 2021 taxes in order to receive a tax rebate of up to $500.

Residents must have received a tax liability for their taxes to get a rebate of up to $250 for individual filers and $500 for joint filers, per the Virginia Department of Taxation.

STILL THE ECONOMY, STUPID: DEMOCRATS URGE BIDEN TO FOCUS AS REPUBLICANS SURGE

Virginia's online portal for the rebates opened on Sept. 19. Eligible residents who filed their 2021 taxes by Sept. 5 are set to receive their rebate by the end of October. There are 3.2 million Virginians who are eligible for the tax rebates, per the state.

Rebates will be delivered to eligible Virginians by direct deposit or paper check to those who file their 2021 taxes by Nov. 1.

The state's tax agency defines a tax liability as the dollar amount owed in taxes subtracted by tax credits or deductions.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) touted the tax rebates for giving money back to citizens in a press release in September.

"As Virginians face high inflation and prices coming from policies set in Washington, these one-time tax rebates will help families lower the cost of living," Youngkin said. "Past administrations have overtaxed Virginians and by returning taxpayer money to Virginia's taxpayers we are ensuring that hard working Virginians get to keep more of their paycheck during these difficult economic times."

Virginia officials have stressed that the rebate will be used to fulfill any taxpayer's outstanding debt to state or local government agencies before being given whatever remains for the rebate.

Tax rebate 2022: Virginia residents have just eight days to claim rebate worth up to $500

Jack Birle

October 24, 12:39 PM October 24, 12:49 PM

Select Virginians have until the beginning of next month to file their 2021 taxes in order to receive a tax rebate of up to $500.

Residents must have received a tax liability for their taxes to get a rebate of up to $250 for individual filers and $500 for joint filers, according to the Virginia Tax Commission.

JANET YELLEN BOASTS OF COUNTRY’S ‘ECONOMIC WELL-BEING’ AHEAD OF MIDTERM ELECTIONS

The state's online portal for the rebates opened on Sept. 19, with eligible residents who filed their 2021 taxes by Sept. 5 set to receive their rebate by the end of October. There are 3.2 million taxpayers in Virginia who are eligible for the tax rebates, according to the state.

The state's tax commission defines a tax liability as the amount of money owed in taxes subtracted by tax credits or deductions.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) touted the bipartisan tax rebates for giving money back to citizens in a press release last month.

"As Virginians face high inflation and prices coming from policies set in Washington, these one-time tax rebates will help families lower the cost of living," Youngkin said. "Past administrations have overtaxed Virginians and by returning taxpayer money to Virginia's taxpayers we are ensuring that hard working Virginians get to keep more of their paycheck during these difficult economic times."

Rebates will be delivered to eligible Virginians by direct deposit or paper check — to those who file their 2021 taxes by Nov. 1.

Virginia officials have also said the rebate will be used to fulfill any outstanding debt to certain government agencies or departments before being given to people.