Virginia governor's office restores voting rights to deceased dog

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 31 Oct, 06:56 · Archive

A deceased dog named Biscuit received a Virginia voting rights restoration certificate, prompting calls for investigation.

A Virginia constituent received an official rights-restoration certificate for Biscuit, a deceased beagle-hound mix from Goochland County that died approximately five years ago. The certificate bore Governor Abigail Spanberger's signature and appeared to restore the dog's voting and jury-service rights.

Del. Tom Garrett, a Republican from Buckingham, received the letter from Biscuit's owner and is demanding an investigation. He questioned how the Commonwealth could have issued such a certificate, stating that 'an official document bearing the governor's signature says the executive reviewed the particulars of Biscuit's criminal case and determined her rights should be restored.' The discovery comes after a similar controversy involving a purported convict named 'Betty No Last Name' in Chesapeake.

Biscuit's owner, who declined to be publicly identified, confirmed the letter's authenticity to Fox News Digital. The owner stated that the dog was 'a good dog and is greatly missed' and 'was never convicted of a felony, nor did she ever show any interest in voting.' A spokesperson for Spanberger responded to inquiries by saying, 'Of course we did not restore the rights of a dog,' though the outlet did not provide further details on how the certificate was issued.

How it is being reported

• ‘Biscuit’ the dog is latest dead felon to get their voting rights back from Virginia Gov. Spanberger, confused owner says"Biscuit was a dog. Biscuit has been dead for five years."New York Post · 31 Oct, 06:45
• 'Biscuit' the dog is latest dead felon to get their voting rights back from Spanberger, confused owner saysA deceased Goochland County beagle named Biscuit reportedly received a Virginia rights restoration certificate, prompting calls for an audit.Fox News · 30 Oct, 21:03

In this story: Abigail Spanberger · Tom Garrett · Virginia · Goochland County · Buckingham · Chesapeake

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log