Blog: Why is Dominion Energy Trying to Buy the Attorney General’s Office?
and what virginians stand to lose if they win
By: Amy Waters, Clean Virginia Communications Manager
June 10, 2025
Virginia is just days away from our June 17th primary election, and Democratic voters have a critical decision to make about their candidate for attorney general (AG).
Virginia’s largest state-regulated utility monopoly, Dominion Energy, has spent $650,000 backing AG candidate Shannon Taylor in her race against Jay Jones. Dominion is also hedging its bets by supporting Attorney General Jason Miyares, the Republican running for re-election, giving him $300,000 this election cycle. At the same time, Dominion is pushing for higher profits and one of the largest electric bill increases in recent history: over $21 a month for the average Virginia family.
As Virginians prepare to cast their ballot, they deserve to have clear, honest information about what’s at stake. Dominion’s unprecedented attempt to influence the outcome of the attorney general race raises serious questions about what the utility monopoly stands to gain from a Taylor win, and what the consequences would be for Virginia families.
What does the Attorney General actually do?
The attorney general is the people’s lawyer. They defend Virginians from corporate abuse and hold powerful actors, like Dominion, accountable. They are responsible for challenging unjustified hikes in our electricity bills and enforcing health and environmental laws when Dominion pollutes our air and water.
It would be unacceptable for a prosecutor to take hundreds of thousands of dollars from a defendant in a criminal case, and it is just as unacceptable for an attorney general to take that kind of money from a corporation they’re tasked with holding accountable. Yet, that is exactly what is going on in Shannon Taylor’s race for the seat—a conflict of interest so significant that 14 Democratic leaders have called upon Taylor to recuse herself from Dominion cases if elected.
Virginia needs Jay Jones: an attorney general you can trust.
The $650,000 that Dominion has funneled into Shannon Taylor’s campaign is one of the largest contributions a corporation has ever given to a candidate in Virginia. That’s because they want an attorney general who won’t challenge their power or their profit. Dominion knows that if Jay Jones wins the ticket, he will hold them accountable.
Jay Jones holds a principled stance against accepting utility monopoly donations because he believes Virginia’s top legal defender is supposed to protect people, not corporate profits, and he has a track record to prove it.
As a Delegate, Jones worked tirelessly to protect Virginians from utility monopoly abuse and rising electric bills. He co-led the bipartisan Fair Energy Bills Act and helped refund $300 million to families and small businesses that Dominion had overcharged them on their electricity bills. He helped expand Medicaid, raise the minimum wage and increase teacher pay.
As assistant attorney general, Jones took on some of the most powerful corporate actors in the country, fighting back against big banks, tech monopolies and predatory landlords. And in private practice, he defended voting rights and stood up for civil rights in the courtroom.
It’s obvious why Dominion is going all in on his opponent: throughout his entire career, Jay Jones has proven one thing again and again – he works for Virginians, not corporate donors.
If Dominion wins, Virginians will lose.
Corporate capture of the attorney general’s office could have critical implications for Virginia families, including:
- Higher electric bills
- Weaker consumer protections
- Less accountability for polluters
We can’t afford an attorney general who has Dominion in their pocket.
Let’s make sure the people win.
The primary election is coming up this Tuesday, June 17th. This election is about more than politics; it’s about whether everyday Virginians or corporate monopolies like Dominion get to call the shots.
Here’s what you can do:
- Make a plan to vote by Tuesday, June 17th.
- Share this blog with three friends.
- Sign up to volunteer for Jay Jones’s campaign.