Miyares Chairs New PAC Aimed at Electing Conservative Prosecutors

Attorney General Jason Miyares is the honorary chairman of the new PAC Protecting Americans Action Fund (PAAF), which is focused on supporting conservative prosecutors in races across the U.S. The new PAC is operated by GOPAC.

“As we thought about how we continue to have an impact and what at our core is making sure Americans have personal and economic security, because that’s the basis of American success, Americans having personal and economic security, there was a big area missing,” GOPAC Chairman David Avella said in a Thursday press conference. “That was making sure that we had prosecuting attorneys who are willing to enforce the law.”

Avella and Miyares spoke at the press conference at GOPAC headquarters in Arlington, an area represented by Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Deghani-Tafti who is one of several progressive northern Virginia prosecutors elected with the help of major spending from Democratic donors.

“You’ve seen the progressive get way out in front of conservatives and Republicans on electing prosecuting attorneys,” Avella said.

Miyares has been critical of progressive prosecutors, but he’s been stymied by the legislature in efforts to expand his authority to intervene in local prosecutions. In Virginia and nationally, there’s a debate over the role of prosecutors, with Republicans arguing that the justice system works best when prosecutors push for the harshest sentences the law allows. Progressive prosecutors, backed in some cases by major Democratic donors and criminal justice reform organizations, argue that prosecution is more than seeking convictions…. (Excerpts from Virginia Star)