Richmond prosecutors are preparing to seek four felony charges of election fraud against former City Council candidate Tavares Floyd, according to a filing in Richmond Circuit Court that indicates the case will be presented to a grand jury next week. During his unsuccessful run for office last year, Floyd filed campaign finance paperwork that showed he was raising an unexpectedly large amount of money for a challenger trying to oust an incumbent in a local election. As his campaign finance paperwork drew scrutiny, several people he listed as donors said they had not actually given him money, casting doubt on the accuracy of his fundraising reports.

The Senate of Virginia again demanded answers from the Board of Visitors about the resignation of former University President Jim Ryan in a letter sent Monday by State Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville. This comes after multiple other letters were exchanged between Deeds and the University beginning Aug. 1. The Cavalier Daily obtained this letter, sent to Board Rector Rachel Sheridan, from a source who wished to remain anonymous and confirmed its authenticity through a representative from Deeds’ district office. Monday’s letter followed Deeds’s decision to submit a Freedom of Information Act Request Sept. 18 for comprehensive records pertaining to Ryan’s resignation, Board communications with state and federal government officials and financial records regarding federal funding.

Former Winthrop University General Counsel Christopher “Todd” Hagins has filed a lawsuit alleging the school’s board of trustees repeatedly broke South Carolina’s open meetings law by holding secret votes on public spending, contracts and tuition and failing to disclose basic records to the public. The complaint, filed Sept. 7 in York County, alleges 27 violations of the state Freedom of Information Act and two violations of the university’s bylaws. Hagins, who also served as secretary to the board until his termination in September 2024, told The Herald the case is about transparency at a public institution that serves thousands of students and receives taxpayer funding. According to the lawsuit, trustees repeatedly entered executive session — a tool state law permits only for limited reasons — and then used the closed meetings to debate and approve actions that should have been public. One example is a two-day retreat in February. The complaint alleges trustees listed nearly the entire agenda as an executive session, then voted on several resolutions and heard presentations from outside consultants and the commissioner of Winthrop’s athletic conference.