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New ad from VA01 Democratic nominee Shannon Taylor goes after former Democratic State Senator Joe Morrissey…as evidence that she will fight to “hold anyone accountable–regardless of party–to lower costs, fight corruption and keep Virginians safe.” I’m not sure I can remember an ad anything like this the entire time I’ve been involved in Virginia politics, but hopefully it will work!
NEW AD: Prosecutor Shannon Taylor Launches TV Ad Highlighting Her Record Holding Powerful Democrat Joe Morrissey Accountable
Taylor is running to hold anyone accountable–regardless of party–to lower costs, fight corruption and keep Virginians safe
Henrico, VA – Today, prosecutor Shannon Taylor launched a new TV ad in her campaign for Congress, “Doing What’s Right,“ spotlighting how she took on then-powerful Democratic lawmaker Joe Morrissey after he was accused of having sex with an underage girl and possessing child pornography – because for Shannon, doing what’s right matters more than political party.
In the ad, Taylor discusses how as Henrico’s top prosecutor, she didn’t care that Morrissey was a Democrat or the pressure she got to make it go away. Instead, in order to make sure he faced accountability, she called for the appointment of a special prosecutor and Morrissey ultimately served jail time.
While Washington politicians work for themselves and their corporate donors, Shannon isn’t afraid to stand up to anyone – including her own party – if it’s the right thing to do for Virginia. That’s the kind of independent leadership that Congress desperately needs.
WATCH “DOING WHAT’S RIGHT” HERE:
Transcript:
ST: Joe Morrissey was a powerful Democratic lawmaker.
ST: He’d been a supporter, even a donor of mine. But then I got the call.
NEWS ANCHOR: Indicted for sex crimes with a minor
ST: As Henrico’s top prosecutor I didn’t care that he was a Democrat or the pressure that I got to make it go away.
ST: So I called for a special prosecutor
ST: He broke the law
NEWS ANCHOR: Delinquency of a minor
ST: And he went to jail.
ST: I’m Shannon Taylor, and I approve this message because doing what’s right matters more than politics.
Facts of the Case
In 2011, during Taylor’s first term as Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney, then Delegate Joe Morrissey endorsed Taylor and provided financial support to her campaign.
In 2013, Joe Morrissey – then a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates — was accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old employee at his law firm and of possessing a nude photo of her. Despite pressure, Taylor insisted that Morrissey be held accountable and requested that a judge appoint an outside special prosecutor so the public could have full confidence in the outcome.
Morrissey was indicted with felony indecent liberties with a minor, possession and distribution of child pornography, and electronic solicitation of a minor, along with a misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was sentenced to jail time.
Taylor is Running to Hold Washington Accountable
While Rob Wittman has spent his 20 years in Congress cowering to his corporate donors and party leaders at every turn, Taylor has spent her entire career fighting for the safety of her community. Under her watch, murder rates dropped by over 80% in the county, she made Henrico a statewide leader in prosecuting sex trafficking cases, and drug overdoses went down by 18%.
Now, she’s taking that same fight to Congress to prosecute the case against the corruption that is hurting Virginians every day and ensure Congress finally starts serving the people they were elected to represent. Ready to take on politicians across both parties, she released her Serve the People First Agenda to ban stock trading by members of Congress who have information that regular Americans don’t have access to, to stop the revolving door that allows Washington politicians to cash in on their influence by becoming lobbyists, and to mandate jail time for politicians who break the public trust.
ABOUT SHANNON:
Shannon Taylor is a battle-tested prosecutor with 25 years of experience and a 90% conviction rate in homicide cases, taking on the toughest threats to Virginia families and delivering justice. A native of Charlottesville and graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond Law School, she began her career as a prosecutor in Richmond before serving as a Special Assistant in the U.S. Attorney’s office. In 2011, she flipped the Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office from Republican to Democrat, becoming the first woman elected to the role. She has since been re-elected three times, proving she knows how to win tough races.
As Commonwealth’s Attorney, Taylor has pioneered programs to support victims of human trafficking, created a task force to tackle the opioid epidemic, and led prosecutors statewide in pledging not to criminalize women or doctors for abortion care. She has worked alongside law enforcement to keep families safe, fought fraud that harms working people, and partnered with gun safety advocates to take illegal guns off the streets.
Shannon Taylor has built her career on protecting Virginians and delivering justice for families regardless of their politics.
For more on Shannon Taylor’s campaign, visit ShannonTaylorVA.com.
