The Loudoun County Democratic Committee is under criminal investigation for allegedly engaging in illegal fundraising activities in violation of Virginia Code § 18.2-340.36:1(A) — the state’s charitable gaming law.
This statute is not vague:
“No charitable gaming shall be conducted by, or for the benefit of, any organization that is established or conducted for the purpose of influencing elections or supporting or opposing candidates for political office.”
That means no raffles, no bingo, no games of chance — ever — for political groups.
Yet that’s exactly what the Loudoun County Democratic Committee is accused of doing.
The Event: “Not-a-Raffle Baffle” at the United in Blue Gala
Earlier this year, the Loudoun County Democratic Committee held its “United in Blue Gala” at Belmont Country Club in Ashburn, Virginia — a high-profile fundraising event for Democratic candidates.
At that gala, committee members reportedly sold raffle tickets under the deceptive label “Not-a-Raffle Baffle.” Tickets were sold. Numbers were drawn. Prizes were handed out.
That’s a raffle — and under Virginia law, it’s a crime when conducted by a political organization.
The fundraiser was organized by Andrea Beth Weiskopf, with assistance from Robert “Bob” Moses (an election consultant and former member of the Loudoun County Office of Elections) and Ryan Ruzic (Loudoun County Democratic Committee Chair and Chief Public Defender in Warrenton). Together, they drew numbered tickets from a jar and announced prize winners throughout the evening — all while raising funds to benefit Democratic campaigns.
The Law: Clear, Specific, and Criminal
Virginia’s charitable gaming statutes are not optional guidelines — they are criminal law.
Section § 18.2-340.37 states plainly:
“Any person who intentionally, knowingly, or willfully violates any provision of this article shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.”
A conviction under that level of offense carries up to 12 months in jail, a $2,500 fine, or both.
Importantly, the law doesn’t just punish organizations — it targets the officers and organizers who knowingly authorize or conduct the illegal activity. Those individuals can be personally prosecuted, fined, and forced to forfeit all proceeds from the unlawful fundraiser.
Deception Only Makes It Worse
Trying to skirt the law by calling a raffle something else — such as “Not-a-Raffle Baffle” — only makes matters worse. Virginia law defines a raffle by what it is, not by what it’s called. If money is exchanged for a chance to win a prize, it is a raffle, period.
Attempts to hide or disguise the activity demonstrate willful intent, a key factor in criminal prosecution. And that deception can open the door to additional criminal charges, including:
- Filing false reports,
- Conspiracy to violate charitable gaming laws,
- Fraud, or
- Obtaining money by false pretenses.
Accountability and Integrity at Stake
These laws exist to protect the public from manipulation and corruption in fundraising.
When a political committee knowingly breaks the law, lies about it, and uses deceptive tactics to raise money for candidates, it undermines trust not just in elections — but in the entire political process.
Virginia law is clear.
If it walks like a raffle and quacks like a raffle, it’s a criminal act when done by a political organization. And those who knowingly authorized it should be held accountable.
Loudoun County Democratic Committee Under Criminal Investigation.
— AllVirginiaNews (@AllVirginiaNews) October 24, 2025
All Virginia obtained a recording of the illegal gambling operation.https://t.co/FW0ER8fFOw pic.twitter.com/iPr5KOCYLm
