Topline
Virginia deputy attorney general Monique Miles resigned from her position overseeing the state’s elections Thursday after facing scrutiny from the Washington Post over her Facebook posts, in which she falsely insisted former President Donald Trump won a second term and praised protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021 riots.
Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January … [+] 6, 2021 in Washington, DC.
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Key Facts
In more than a dozen Facebook comments, Miles also spread baseless conspiracy theories, including claiming rioters at the Capitol were actually from Antifa and the Black Lives Matter movement, accusing China of election interference and alleging there was credible evidence of widespread voter fraud, according to the Post.
Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office was unaware of Miles’ social media posts until Thursday morning and Miles has since resigned, spokeswoman Victoria LaCivita told Forbes in a statement.
Miles claimed she posted her thoughts about the January 6 riots, the 2020 election and voter fraud while “news was still developing,” adding that she now believes President Joe Biden “is our president as he was certified as such,” in a statement to the Post.
She summed up the scrutiny on her social media posts as “character assassination to stir up controversy,” adding that “some liberals have their daggers out for black conservative females.”
In her role as the deputy attorney general for government operations and transactions, Miles was responsible for representing the state in any litigation related to elections and providing legal advice to the Virginia Board of Elections and the Department of Elections, according to the Post, though she was only in her new position for less than a month.
Miles did not immediately respond to a Forbes request for comment.
Key Background
Miyares, a Republican who was just sworn in last month, believes “Joe Biden won the election and he has condemned the January 6th attacks,” LaCivita told Forbes. In December, a poll found 17% of Americans believe the riots were carried out by Trump’s political enemies in a conspiracy to discredit him. In the same poll, 65% of respondents said they accepted the outcome of the 2020 election. That figure includes less than half of Republicans, Trump voters and conservative media consumers.
Further Reading
Deputy Va. attorney general resigns after revelation of Facebook posts praising Jan. 6 rioters, claiming Trump won election (Washington Post)
Americans Still Blame Trump For The Insurrection — And Think Democracy Is Under Threat, Polls Find (Forbes)
Tracking Trump: A Rundown Of All The Investigations And Cases Involving The Former President (Forbes)
