There’s really no bottom. The political machine behind the late Rep. Gerry Connolly is under fire after supporters received fundraising emails from his campaign weeks after the Virginia Democrat’s death—raising fresh concerns about ethics, transparency, and backroom succession schemes.
Kamran Fareedi, a former FBI informant, exposed the emails in a social media post Friday, calling the continued solicitations from the Connolly campaign “beyond unethical.” Connolly, 75, died earlier this year after a public battle with esophageal cancer, yet the campaign’s digital operations appear to remain active—with its donor lists and infrastructure now reportedly being used to boost James Walkinshaw, Connolly’s longtime chief of staff.
Why am I getting emails from @GerryConnolly's campaign AFTER he has passed away?
Beyond unethical. pic.twitter.com/fy6xUAJ6eb
— Kamran Fareedi (@fareedi_kamran) June 6, 2025
“For those unfamiliar, former Connolly campaign operatives are trying to coronate his former Chief of Staff… who would probably hold the office and rule over Fairfax County constituents for the next few decades,” Fareedi warned. “Seems incredibly unethical and disrespectful to the deceased.”
A party run primary process is being held in just 22 days at polling places that still haven't even been announced.
Meanwhile, whoever is controlling the @GerryConnolly campaign infrastructure is using it to try and secure James Walkinshaw the nomination.
The emails end with: pic.twitter.com/En4BvjyMMO
— Kamran Fareedi (@fareedi_kamran) June 6, 2025
While Connolly’s death has left a power vacuum in Northern Virginia’s deep-blue 11th District, critics say the local Democratic establishment is working behind the scenes to install Walkinshaw before voters have a chance to weigh in—using Connolly’s name and campaign tools to manufacture support.
No official statement has been released by Walkinshaw’s team, wrote The Daily Caller, but the silence is unlikely to quell backlash from constituents who see the maneuver as a cynical abuse of trust. What’s clear is that while Gerry Connolly is no longer with us, his campaign list is still being milked—and some say the Democratic machine is just getting started.
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