Michael Bills, a mega-donor, has found himself under attack from Virginia House Democrats angered by his actions to support candidates seeking to limit Dominion Energy’s influence. In an effort to back competition in the Virginia energy space, Bills supports Democrats and Republicans who decline financial support from Dominion.
Read more on how Del. Candi King, a Democrat, is fighting to keep her seat with Dominion’s funding casting a shadow.
——
“Bills, a hedge fund manager, in 2018 began offering money to candidates in Virginia who decline to accept campaign money from Dominion, saying he wants the legislature to allow more competition for clean energy and grant regulators at the State Corporation Commission stronger regulatory oversight over the utility.
The mail piece that attacks Montgomery said her campaign “is being backed by the same dark money billionaire donors who supported Republican [Sen.] Amanda Chase, the right-wing extremist...”
Del. King
Bills has said he is not a billionaire. And while dark money contributions are designed to conceal the source of campaign money, all the donations from Bills to his Clean Virginia political action committee — and that PAC’s contributions to candidates — are disclosed in public reports to the Virginia Department of Elections.
Clean Virginia donated to Chase, R-Chesterfield, but in 2020 announced, after criticism over the donations, that the PAC would no longer fund her because of her “divisive and dangerous response to the nationwide calls for racial justice.”
Kate Sarna, a spokeswoman for the House Democratic Caucus, did not respond to a voicemail, text and email Wednesday seeking comment.
The attack surprised Bills, and Clean Virginia issued a statement noting that since 2018 he had given more than $1.8 million to members of the House Democratic Caucus and Democratic House candidates, and “actively” gives money to 42 of the 55 House Democrats.”