Democrats of Virginia take $1.5M in Political Contributions by Casino Supporters

MCLEAN (VA) — Comstock Holding Companies spent over $1.4 Million.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project, between Jan. 1, 2020 and Jan. 31, 2024 Comstock Holdings’ employees, partners and entities contributed a total of $1,247.993 in contributions for state and local candidates and political action groups.

Since February 1, the Reston developer has spent $271,128 more on lobbying and political contributions. Comstock has spent a total of $1.519.121 so far, according to the financial reports filed with the state.

The Virginia General Assembly will begin its 2025 legislative sessions on Wednesday. The prefiling of legislation will end at 10:00 am and legislators have until January 17th to submit new laws.

Comstock Holdings established the Building a Remarkable Virginia Political Action Committee in September 2023 to provide contributions to state and municipal lawmakers. According to the VPAP , as of Sunday the PAC had contributed $477.900 to state and local politician committees.

Building a Remarkable Virginia Political Action Committee — $62,500

$25,000.– Surovell, State Senate/VA Senate majority leader (12/19/2024).
$20,000– Friends of Don Scott/Speaker in the VA House
$17.500 Friends of Luke Torian/VA delegate

Building a Remarkable VA PAC donated $62,000 in December to the campaigns of three legislators, including Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon), majority leader for the senate; Del. Don Scott, the speaker of the House (D-Portsmouth), and Del. Luke Torian, D-Dumfries, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee along with Del. Mark Sickles.

Torian said that it’s common for corporations, businesses or whatever to support legislators. “As chair of the appropriations committee, I will be focusing on getting the budget process through in this short session.”

David Marsden, a Democrat from Burke, submitted casino referendum legislation during the legislative sessions of 2023 and 2024. Surovell, however, said in December he would carry the casino referendum legislation this session rather than Marsden.

Comstock Hospitality LLC was created the same month Comstock launched their PAC. This business entity has donated a combined total of $65,200 in 2024 to various political action committees and candidate committees, according to filings with state campaign finance authorities.

Comstock Hospitality Contributions to Campaigns – $65,200

$22,500 Commonwealth Victory Fund : Democratic Party (06/28/2024).
$10,000 – Angelia Williams Graves for Senate (06/30/24)
$5,000– Building a Remarkable Virginia Political Action Committee (02/27/24)
$ 5,000 – Christie Craig for Senate (06/07/24)
$ 5,00 – Democratic Party of Virginia (6/30/24)
$ 5,000 – Danny Diggs for Senate (06/21/24)
$ 5, 000 – Virginia Legislative Black Caucus – (06/28/24)
$ 2.700 – Democratic Party – 8th Congressional District (9/12/24)
$ 2,500 – Democratic Party of Fairfax County (03/22/24)
$ 2,500 – Democratic Party of Fairfax County (09/22/24)

Five Comstock employees, Comstock Partners LC and Dwight Schar’s father-in law, Comstock CEO Chris Clemente, paid for a dinner on May 30, which Bryce Reeves reported in his campaign finance reports.

Reeves, during the 2024 legislative sessions, was the principal sponsor of Senate Bill 628 which:

The law states that any city eligible to host a casino that fails a local referendum asking whether or not the city should allow casinos is prohibited from holding a referendum again on the same issue for three years after the previous referendum.

The Richmond voters who failed to approve two casino referendums during two consecutive elections prompted this legislation.

Reeves was also the chair of the Virginia Gaming Commission Subcommittee for 2024. He was the chief co-patron in SB397 which required that any business authorized by the Virginia Lottery to conduct charitable gaming or to conduct horse racing with wagering and casino games, post the toll free telephone number and the website of the illegal gambling tip line.

Campaign Contributions to Sen. Bryce Reeves $34,565

$2,500 – Christopher Guthrie/Comstock Chief Financial Officer (5/31/2024)
$2,500– Stuart Schar/Comstock Companies’ Financial Analyst (5/31/2024)
$20,000 – Comstock Partners LC/Comstock Entity (30/05/2024)
$2,500– Tim Steffan/Comstock Holdings Investor Relations 05/28/2024
$2.583– John E. Harrison/Comstock VP Executive Development/ (05/28/2024).
$2,500 – Dylan Schar Clemente/Park X Management – Comstock Entity (20/05/2024)
$1982– Cost of Meal (actually: $1981.77) Paid by Comstock Partners on 05/30/2024

Patch contacted Reeves to ask for a comment on the donations. Once his response has been received, this story will be updated.

Other Donations – $55,350

$1500– Democratic Party – Fairfax County/Comstock Partners/Comstock Entity (7/17/2024).
$25,000. A Safer Virginia (PAC)/Christopher Daniel Clemente/Comstock’s CEO (07/09/2024)
$2.750– Democratic Party – Fairfax County/Comstock Partners/Comstock Entity (30/05/2024)
$1,000 – Wren Williams, Delegate/John E. Harrison/Comstock Companies Executive VP Development (11/17/2024).
$25,000. – Virginia Future Generations PAC/Christopher Daniel Clemente/Comstock Chief Executive Officer (04/21/2024)
$100– VA Assn. for Commercial Real Estate/Comstock Partners/Comstock Entity (4/02/2024).

A safer Virginia PAC, is a political action group for Virginia’s current Attorney General Jason Miyares. Virginia Future Generations (PAC), is a PAC affiliated with Speaker of House Don Scott.

Lobbyists for the 2024 General Assembly – $52,513

Comstock Hospitality has also retained 12 lobbyists who will represent its interests in the 2025 session.

After the legislative session, lobbyists must file an annual financial report with the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council. The deadline for filing is June 30. Comstock Hospitalities will not be able to disclose the amount it paid these 12 lobbyists until June 30.

The five Comstock lobbyists in Richmond for the 2024 legislative sessions filed financial reports last June. The five lobbyists received $52,513 in total for their work.

A casino referendum, if passed, would give the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authority to place a referendum on future ballots, letting voters choose whether or not to build a Tysons casino.

Fairfax County Board Chairman Jeff McKay sent a letter to the leaders of the General Assembly in January saying that the board had not requested this authority.

The remaining members of the board have not spoken out about their opposition. Only Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill), and Jimmy Bierman, who represent Tysons in part, have expressed openly that they are against the casino proposal.

These donations have been made to the Building a Remarkable Virginia PAC from the start of 2024. They are not included in this total. These are included to illustrate where the money for the PAC’s political contributions originated.

Building A Remarkable Virginia PAC Received $100,000

$25,000. – Chris Clemente/Comstock Companies Chief Executive Officer (12/16/2024).
$15,000– Carolina Skelly/Camino Advertising- Marketing (12/10/2024).
$15,000. John E. Harrison/Comstock Companies Executive Vice President Development (12/10/2024).
$25,000. – Christopher Daniel Clemente/Comstock Chief Executive Officer (12/07/2024).
$10,000– Michael George/Crescent Hotels and Resorts (December 10, 2024)
$ 5,00– Comstock Hospitality Holdings/Comstock LLC 02/27/2024
$ 5,000 – Friends of Pat Herrity (3/6/2024)

RVN acknowledges Comstock’s employees, associates and partners, as well as family members, have the right to donate to any candidate they choose to support. It is also their right to form a political action group to support whichever candidate they choose.

RVN reports this publicly available data; it does not say that Comstock Holdings or its employees, associates or partners, family or anyone else who contributed to Building a Remarkable Virginia or other political action committees or candidates for office committed any illegal acts.