The Virginia Governor's campaign for Republican candidates is being pushed back amid a storm of controversy and Republican infighting in Virginia that pitted candidates in Virginia.
A source familiar with the conversation told Fox News Digital that he tried to seek business from a potential lieutenant governor just days before Youngkin adviser tried to force him.
Republican governor candidate John Reid has refused to drop out of the race after being pressured by the governor due to the threaded photo allegedly posted on his Tumblr account.
In a video posted Sunday, the gay lead denied that the Tumblr account belongs to him. He said he would not step back from the race, accusing Virginia's Youngkin-linked Spirit Committee of attempting a “frightening tor” run by Matt Moran. Reed also said Virginia's spirit had purchased negative research on him, collected by the Republican-aligned American Rising PAC, and offered to end negative reporting.
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Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (right) explained that Lt. Col. John Reed wanted to step down from race because the allegations were “distractions,” but added that “the decision is Johns and it leads to John.” (John Reed Campaign/AP)
Reed's team submitted a halt and assumed letter to Moran on Monday. Moran then filed an affidavit, refusing to try and force Reid's team there, saying, “I did not attack John, and I did not threaten or force him,” and “I told my judgment what I believed was in his best interest.”
“It was clear at the meeting that I acted informedly as a friend and colleague of John Reed, and I firmly deny the characterization of the meeting.”
However, the audio from the April 25th conversation with Moran and Reid's team, acquired and reviewed by Fox News Digital, raises questions about the characteristics of Moran's conversation.
In the conversation, Moran said, “Even if John is aside… I'll go buy everything from America if you want. The campaign can buy everything from America.”
At another point in the conversation, Moran said, “It's not in anyone's greatest interest for this to continue,” and Reid said, “If we stay in the race, it will continue.”
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Virginia State Capitol (AP Photo/Steve Helber/File)
“It hurts candidates up and down the ticket,” Moran said.
Additionally, a source familiar with the conversation told Fox News Digital that Moran proposed a Reid campaign service from his advertising company Creative Direct in the April 21 conversation.
Youngkin explained his decision to ask Reid to step down by saying, “Explicit social media content like this is a distraction” and “a campaign distraction and a distraction from those paying attention to the most important issues.”
However, he said, “This decision belongs to John and leads to John.”
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Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (Sarasilviger/Getty Images)
A spokesman for Reid's campaign claimed in a statement to Fox News Digital that “the threat was obvious” in a conversation on April 25th, and that “Moran's affidavit is not accurate.”
The spokesperson added: “It's a shame that we chose to create this distraction after we were unable to secure business from the campaign.”
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In response to these accusations, Moran introduced Fox News to X Post Wednesday. There he said, “I've known John Reed for many years and thought he was a friend.”
“Let me be clear, the facts are important and they will show that the accusations against me are unfounded,” Moran said.
The X-Post shared by Moran contained a letter from his lawyer, George Terwilliger. The lawyer said: “The facts, evidence and witnesses would demonstrate that Moran would not attempt to put pressure on Reid, either directly or indirectly.
