RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -– A national Democratic group is rolling out a billboard in Accomack County that takes aim at Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) for not saying publicly whether she backs former President Donald Trump’s call to “defund the DOJ and FBI.”
Kiggans is one of 12 Republicans representing districts that President Joe Biden won in 2020 being targeted in a billboard campaign coordinated by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
The billboard against Kiggans is going up Wednesday in Accomack, a county in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District located on the northernmost part of the Eastern Shore, the DCCC said. It will remain in place through Memorial Day as Virginia is expected to see a surge of travelers on the roads for the holiday.
The billboard claims Kiggans “was silent” when asked by media outlets about Trump’s social media post for Republicans in Congress to “defund the DOJ and FBI until they come to their senses” the day after he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
“Jen Kiggans – who time and time again attempts to paint herself as a pro public safety moderate – has shamelessly refused to condemn the twice-impeached, criminally-indicted former president’s call to defund the law enforcement agencies that keep Virginians safe,” DCCC spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre said in a statement. “Kiggans has put party politics over public safety – and we won’t let Americans forget.”
Punchbowl News reported that Kiggans’ congressional office, including many others, did not provide a comment on whether she supported Trump’s call.
“The only party that has called to defund law-enforcement are the Democrats, so it is ironic that they are running these lies,” Danny Laub, spokesman for Kiggans for Congress, said in a statement. “Perhaps the DC Democrats are confused about the reason they lost the House last year. There is nobody in Congress more pro law enforcement than Jen Kiggans. Period.”
Laub did not answer a follow-up question Wednesday on whether Kiggans had a comment or statement regarding Trump’s Truth Social post from April, adding only that nobody reached out to him for comment.
Kiggans’ congressional spokesperson referred 8News to Laub and did not answer if media outlets reached out for a comment regarding Trump’s message or if her office had any response.
