NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia House of Delegates unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday to prevent lawmakers from using campaign dollars on personal expenses.
It was the latest action on an issue that's been talked about for years in the Commonwealth, which is considered to have some of the weakest campaign finance laws in the country.
In Virginia, there are no limits on how much individuals can donate to politicians running for state or local office.
Watch related video: How the proposed Virginia budget could impact Hampton Roads
Joan Porte, president of the League of Women Voters of Virginia, is blunt about the state's campaign finance situation.
“It’s dreadful,” Porte said. The League monitors laws and their impacts on citizens in the Commonwealth.
“We're called the wild wild west of campaign finance. It’s been an ongoing problem; it has nothing to do with party,” she said.
Big money is once again pouring into Virginia.
Data from the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project shows that since the beginning of 2024, members of the House of Delegates have raised more than $13 million.
Watch related video: Federal spending freeze leads to 'chaos' for Chesapeake nonprofit
“It’s like Virginia is not even trying. It’s just like, yeah whatever, we don’t need controls,” said Porte.
While federal elections are governed by different rules, Virginia continues to face calls for reform.
The bill to ban campaign funds for personal expenses is a step in the right direction, advocates say.
Reports over the years have indicated that some politicians have used campaign contributions for hotels and expensive meals.
Watch related video: Should public utility companies be able to donate to Virginia political campaigns?
Meanwhile, some Virginia lawmakers have argued that distinguishing between personal and campaign expenses can be challenging.
Political analyst Dr. Ben Melusky from Old Dominion University said that “old habits can be hard to break.” He explained, “[Legislators] are comfortable with that flexibility and utilizing it, and thus a shift right—it's quite a drastic shift, right? They would have to figure out how to run campaigns differently in the state.”
Another proposed bill would have barred public utility companies, including Dominion Energy, from making campaign contributions.
In 2023, Dominion donated more than $10 million to Virginia politicians.
Because Dominion is a state-regulated monopoly, some believe it should not be allowed to contribute to political campaigns. However, advocates have consistently defended the company’s position.
"When [Dominion Energy] and others are singled out so that their speech is suppressed and as a consequence it elevates other groups' speech... we believe that is inherently unfair," said Chris Nolen of McGuireWoods, who represented Dominion Energy.
Despite the push for reform, neither this bill nor a broader proposal advanced. Advocates, however, are not backing down. “We have no intention of stopping; we’re used to long-term battles,” said Porte.
