Staff Reports
Virginia politics hit a new low — or at least a new headline — when Delegate Tom Garrett revealed a restoration‑of‑rights certificate addressed to “Biscuit Rigsby,” a beagle that died years ago. The document bears the Commonwealth seal and a signature attributed to Governor Abigail Spanberger. Garrett is demanding an independent audit to explain how a dead dog’s name ended up on official paperwork tied to the governor’s voter‑rights restoration program.
The strange certificate that set off the uproar
Here are the facts that matter: physical documents exist showing the name “Biscuit Rigsby,” the Lesser Seal of the Commonwealth, and what appears to be the governor’s signature. The dog’s owner confirmed the certificate’s authenticity and said Biscuit died about five years ago and was never convicted of a felony. The certificate carries a September date, and Garrett released the paperwork to the public in late October.
Spanberger’s office pushes back — but answers are thin
The governor’s office did not deny the paperwork exists. Instead, a spokesperson said, “Of course we did not restore the rights of a dog,” and claimed the record is associated with a person who has a date of birth and Social Security number. That answer raises as many questions as it answers, because the administration has declined to release even a redacted chain‑of‑custody or proof showing how that human record could have the dog’s name printed on a certificate.
Why this matters — voting integrity and a ballot fight
This is not just an amusing anecdote for late-night hosts. Spanberger’s office has been restoring hundreds of thousands of rights as part of a proactive program, and Virginians are about to vote on making automatic restoration the law. Delegate Garrett put it bluntly: “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.” If the state can’t explain how “Biscuit Rigsby” appeared on official paperwork, voters have a right to worry about how many other errors slipped through.
What must be done now
Start with an independent audit — a real one that preserves databases, mail‑merge logs, and a forensic copy of the certificate. Release redacted records showing whether this was a mail‑merge mistake, a database mismatch, or human error. Show how many restorations used automated processes and what safeguards were in place. If the administration wants trust, transparency is the price; otherwise, expect more stories that sound like they came from a comedy sketch.
At the end of the day, Virginians aren’t asking for political theater; they’re asking for competence. A governor’s signature on a certificate should mean someone looked at the file. If the Commonwealth can’t produce that proof now, voters should wonder whether this was an isolated fluke or a systemic failure — and demand the accountability that keeps elections and voter rolls clean.
