Hypocrisy Alert: Tom Perriello Accepts $500K Donation, Then Rails Against Big Money In Politics

In his race to the left against Ralph Northam for the Democrat gubernatorial nomination in Virginia, failed former congressman Tom Perriello has tried to portray himself as a fierce opponent of big money in politics – but like with most other issues, Perriello’s position reeks of hypocrisy. In a recent interview with The American Prospect, Perriello explained his stance on corporate donations in Virginia elections:

INTERVIEWER: “Virginia’s campaign-finance laws are some of the most lenient in the country, allowing, for example, the use of campaign funds for personal expenses. How troubling is corporate influence on politics in Virginia?”

TOM PERRIELLO: “It’s hugely problematic, and we’d love to look at any package of reforms that would limit corporate influence. We have a crazy system in Virginia, where we allow unlimited corporate contributions…”

But as it turns out, Tom Perriello has no problem cashing checks from big donors when they come his way. After breathlessly announcing he had raised $1.1 million dollars in a month on the campaign trail, Perriello let slip that almost half had come from a single donor:

“… [This] contribution accounts for nearly half of the $1.1 million that Perriello has collected since he declared his candidacy last month. Though fundraising reports are not due until mid-April, the former congressman let slip his total this past week…”

Tom Perriello may try to build his façade of being an opponent to big money politics, but in reality almost half of his campaign has been bought and paid for by a single wealthy donor. If Perriello is willing to use dishonest and hypocritical rhetoric that clearly contradicts his record to attract liberal primary votes, why should Virginians trust him as their next governor?