Richmond, VA – A social media post from Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones’ official account sparked online ridicule this week after a graphic in the message spelled “Attorney” incorrectly as “Attoney.”
The now-viral post, published Tuesday morning, was meant to announce Jones’ plan to challenge what he described as former President Donald Trump’s federal overreach on Virginia’s in-state tuition law. However, the typo in the official image drew far more attention than the policy statement itself.
Users quickly pointed out the error, circulating screenshots and memes across multiple platforms. Within hours, the tweet had been viewed thousands of times, with many commenters joking about the irony of a legal office misspelling its own title.
The Attorney General’s Office has not publicly commented on the mistake or whether the post would be corrected or deleted. Despite the social media backlash, the original message remained visible online as of Thursday morning.
This not Attorney General Jones’ worst scandal in the public spotlight.
A scandal erupted when leaked, violent text messages sent in August 2022 by Jay Jones—a Democrat who was elected Attorney General of Virginia in November 2025—in which he fantasized about violence against a Republican political opponent and his family. The scandal emerged as an “October surprise” during the 2025 campaign, creating a major political controversy in the final weeks of the election.
The Key Details of the Scandal
- The Leaked Messages: In October 2025, The National Review published messages from 2022, where Jones, a former House of Delegates member, wrote to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner about then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert. In the texts, Jones said if he had to choose between shooting Hitler, Pol Pot, or Gilbert, “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head”.
- Violent Rhetoric: Jones further suggested in the text exchange that he hoped Gilbert’s children would “die in their mother’s arms” because he believed only personal pain would compel Republicans to act on gun safety legislation.
- Reaction and Apology: The messages received bipartisan condemnation, with many Republicans, including Donald Trump and Gov. Glenn Youngkin, calling for Jones to withdraw from the race. Jones apologized to Gilbert and his family, saying he was “ashamed” and “embarrassed”.
- Other Allegations: Following the release of the texts, Del. Coyner alleged that Jones had previously, in a 2020 phone call, suggested that “if a few police officers died, then maybe they would stop killing people”. Jones denied making this comment.
- Reckless Driving Incident: The controversy was compounded by a 2022 incident where Jones was clocked driving 116 mph in a 70 mph zone. He avoided jail time by paying a fine and performing 1,000 hours of community service, half of which were done for his own political action committee.
Key Points: Virginia attorney general’s office mocked after tweet misspells ‘Attorney’ in official post – Richmond
- A tweet from Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones’ account misspelled “Attorney” as “Attoney.”
- The post was intended to announce legal action opposing federal policy changes tied to in-state tuition.
- The typo quickly went viral, drawing widespread attention and online criticism.
