Tysons Casino PAC Donates To VA Lt. Gov., Attorney General Campaigns

RESTON, VA — Comstock Holding Companies — the developer that has sought to build a casino in Tysons — donated $50,000 to candidates for attorney general and lieutenant governor, according to State Board of Elections filings.

A week after announcing his candidacy in the lieutenant governor’s race in Virginia, Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) has raised $200,000 in campaign contributions, including from the political action committee of the developer.

Comstock’s PAC donated $25,000 each to the campaign committees of Herrity and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R), who announced in November that he was running for reelection in 2025.

While the next financial filing isn’t due until Wednesday, Comstock Holding Companies has already filed reports covering large contributions and expenditures with the State Board of Elections. These reflect actions that occurred within the first week of January.

Supervisors Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) and Jimmy Bierman (D-Dranesville), along with members of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition, are scheduled to speak during a news conference about the Tysons casino legislation hosted Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-Herndon) at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon) is the chief patron of Senate Bill 982, which seeks to give the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors the authority to put a casino referendum on a ballot, so voters can decide if they want a casino built in Tysons.

Supporters have argued a casino can bring new revenue to Fairfax County, and jobs.

Read all of Patch's reporting on the effort to build a casino on Metro's Silver Line in Fairfax County at Silver Line Casino.

On Jan. 7, Teresa Schar, Comstock Holdings' chief marketing officer, and Christopher Ballard of the McWilliams/Ballard real estate firm, each donated $20,000 to the Building a Remarkable Virginia PAC, which Comstock formed in September 2023 to make contributions to state and local lawmakers.

Related: Tysons Casino Referendum Bill Resurfaces As General Assembly Opens

"I've been honored to receive support in my campaign for Lieutenant Governor from those with a wide range of beliefs and with interests in many different issues," Herrity said Tuesday. "I have never, and will never, allow financial contributions to my campaign to influence the decisions made on behalf of Fairfax or Virginia residents."

The Springfield supervisor told Patch that he has been learning more about the impacts of casinos on surrounding areas, as well as potential benefits.

"I have been meeting with law enforcement officers in Virginia and from across the country to assess the impact of casinos on surrounding communities," he said. "I will not be supporting a casino without a referendum where our residents will have the final say, but I am open to a full examination of the benefits and challenges it may bring. I encourage all residents to reach out to my office and voice their opinion on the proposal."

Patch reached out to Miyares for his comment about the donations. This story will be updated when the response is received.

This isn't the first time the Building a Remarkable Virginia PAC has donated to the two elected officials. Herrity's 2024 reelection campaign received $5,000 in March 2024, according to VPAP. The PAC also donated $23,500 to the A Safer Virginia PAC, which is associated with Miyares.

Related: Supervisor Pat Herrity Running For Lt. Governor Of Virginia

Last week, Patch reported that Comstock’s PAC has made $477,900 in donations to state and local candidates since January 2023. The new donations to Herrity and Miyares’ campaigns raises that total to $527,900.

Altogether, Comstock and its associates have spent $1,579,121 to date on its lobbying efforts and candidate contributions since the beginning of 2023, according to their financial filings with the state. That number will likely increase when the next batch of filings is taken into account on Wednesday.

Schar donated $9,500 to Comstock’s PAC in October 2023 and $2,500 the previous May to Del. Wren Williams (R-Stuart), according to campaign finance filings reported by the Virginia Public Access Project.

Related: Casino Backers Spent $1.5M On Political Contributions, Lobbying

During the 2023 legislative session, Williams introduced a bill in the Virginia House of Delegates similar to Sen. Dave Marsden's (D-Burke) legislation seeking to put a casino somewhere on Metro’s Silver Line in Fairfax County outside the Capital Beltway. Both bills were withdrawn in the wake of vocal opposition.

In addition to being an executive at Comstock, Schar is also married to the company’s CEO Chris Clemente.

McWilliams/Ballard leads the sales activities at JW Marriott Residences Reston Station, a mixed-use development built by Comstock Holdings at the Wiehle Avenue-Reston East Metro Station.

Read all of Patch's reporting on the plan to build a casino on Metro's Silver Line in Fairfax County at Silver Line Casino.