UPDATED 4/4 morning: Basically, the NO campaign is being funded by one of the worst, most dangerous far-right-extremist people in America – Peter Thiel.
UPDATED 4/1 at 3:15 pm – See below for a statement from AG Jay Jones.
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.”
UPDATED 4/1 – See below for a statement from VA Speaker Don Scott.
Speaker Don Scott Statement on Peter Thiel Funding False, Racist “NO” Ads
RICHMOND, VA — New election filings show a group backed by Trump donor and tech billionaire Peter Thiel is pouring millions into a misleading ad campaign ahead of the April 21 referendum. A $2.5 million contribution ties Thiel’s network to false and racially charged ads targeting Virginia voters.
Speaker Don Scott released the following statement:
“Now Virginians know exactly who is behind these lies. Peter Thiel – a Silicon Valley tech billionaire, one of Donald Trump and JD Vance’s biggest donors, and someone who has openly questioned whether democracy even works – is now pouring millions into Virginia to mislead our voters.
“He thinks he can trick Virginians. Just like Trump, he thinks he can rig the midterms. And he’s doing it by funding a campaign built on deception.
“As the first Black Speaker in Virginia’s history, I don’t take this lightly. Our elections belong to the people – not out-of-state tech billionaires using cheap tricks to manipulate voters.
“Virginia can fight back by voting YES. Reject Trump and Thiel’s anti-democratic agenda – and send a clear message: we will not bow down to billionaires trying to buy our democracy.”
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From the YES campaign:
Top Trump Donor and Tech Billionaire Peter Thiel Revealed as Funder of False, Racist “NO” Ads
Malicious Text, Digital and Mail Campaign Misleads Black and Senior Voters, invoking Jim Crow and lying about Obama and Spanberger Support for YES on Redistricting Amendment
New SBE Report Shows $2.5 Million Contribution from Thiel-funded Group to Creator of Ads
Richmond, Va. — New Virginia Election filings identify a group financed by Peter Thiel, the Trump-aligned tech billionaire, as a key funder of a brazen disinformation campaign deceiving voters ahead of the April 21 referendum election. A $2.5 million cash contribution reported today links Thiel’s network to the same campaign that’s been sending false and racist ads invoking Jim Crow and misleading Virginians in the final weeks of the referendum.
According to the filings, Per Aspera Policy Incorporated — a key part of Thiel’s network — is backing ads that revive imagery and language associated with the Jim Crow era to target Black voters while pushing false claims about the YES campaign. The ads deliberately distort what a YES or NO vote means, and use inflammatory and historically-charged imagery to mislead seniors and communities of color. Other text messages and mailers by the group misrepresent both President Obama’s position and Governor Spanberger’s record to further confuse voters.
Thiel, co-founder of Palantir and megafunder for Per Aspera Policy Incorporated, has become one of the most influential and aggressive financiers of Trump and the MAGA movement, using his wealth to support political operations that peddle in disinformation and attacks on democratic norms.
Statement from Keren Dongo, Campaign Manager for the YES Campaign:
“Now we know exactly who is funding this deceptive campaign. The same megadonor network backing Donald Trump and JD Vance’s agenda is now trying to manipulate Virginia voters with lies. But Virginians won’t be fooled — and now they have the chance to level the playing field and stop the MAGA power grab by voting YES.”
Early voting is underway now through April 18. Election Day is April 21.
For more information, visit www.
virginiansforfairelections.com . ###
About Virginians for Fair Elections
VAFE is the YES campaign mobilizing Virginians to stop Trump’s power grab and level the playing field in the 2026 midterm elections.
