WTF? Virginia Lawmaker Demands Probe After Dead Dog Gets Rights Restored

A Virginia lawmaker is demanding an investigation after a constituent received an official certificate restoring the voting rights of Biscuit, a beagle-hound mix that died about five years ago.

Del. Tom Garrett, R-Buckingham, released the certificate, which bears Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s signature and restores voting and jury-service rights to “Biscuit Rigsby,” Fox News Digital reported Friday.

“Biscuit was a dog. Biscuit has been dead for five years,” Garrett said. “Yet an official document bearing the governor’s signature says the executive reviewed the particulars of Biscuit’s criminal case.”

The owner, a Goochland County resident, confirmed the letter is authentic. “To my knowledge, she was never convicted of a felony, nor did she ever show any interest in voting,” the owner said.

Spanberger’s office pushed back. “Of course we did not restore the rights of a dog,” a spokesperson said, adding that the record “is associated with a person with a date of birth and Social Security number.”

The office did not respond to a follow-up question about what error may have occurred. The owner said Biscuit never had any contact with state government that could explain her name landing on a list.

The owner said a sibling is incarcerated but called that irrelevant, since Spanberger’s restoration effort covers only people who have been released.

A Question on Tuesday’s Ballot

The certificate surfaced days before Virginians vote on a constitutional amendment that would make restoration of voting rights automatic once felons are released from incarceration. Spanberger pushed her party to put it on the ballot.

Her administration said in August that about 100,000 people had regained their rights since she took office in January, after the secretary of the commonwealth began proactively identifying eligible Virginians.

The dog’s case follows the “Betty No Last Name” controversy in Chesapeake, where a purported convict with no surname had her rights restored, and earlier reports of restoration notices sent to people who had died.

Spanberger addressed the deceased-felon reports this month. “We are digging into it,” she told 8News, according to Potomac Local.

She also noted that having rights restored does not register anyone to vote and that voting on someone else’s behalf is a felony in Virginia.

Garrett, an attorney and former congressman, wants an immediate independent audit and disclosure of the record that identified “Biscuit Rigsby” as a convicted felon.

He also wants to know how many certificates went to dead, nonexistent or duplicate people. “At what point does rank incompetence and malfeasance become criminal conduct?” Garrett asked in a video posted online.

“This is not a question of whether people who have served their sentences deserve a second chance,” Garrett said. “This is a question of whether the Commonwealth is exercising one of the Governor’s constitutional powers with even the most basic level of review.”

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