A commonwealth’s rights restoration effort begged a question regarding criminal conduct as the governor’s office denied authorizing voting privileges to a constituent’s departed furry companion.
“At what point does rank incompetence and malfeasance become criminal conduct?”
Such was the inquiry from Virginia Delegate Tom Garrett (R) after a Goochland County resident informed him that a beagle-hound mix that passed away five years prior was mistaken for an ex-convict and restored rights to vote.
“This is not a question of whether people who have served their sentence deserve a second chance. 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,” said Garrett to Fox News Digital
Signed by Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), the letter regarding Biscuit Rigby spoke to her “political disabilities to wit: denial of the right to vote, hold public office, to serve on a jury, to be a notary public, and to ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms,” and restored each of the rights save for the ones regarding firearms.
“Biscuit was a dog. Biscuit has been dead for five years. Yet 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,” added Garrett. “Virginians deserve an explanation for how this is possible.”
In his video about the dog, Garrett made note of a previous example of someone receiving a QR code for a mail-in ballot by requesting rights restoration for a “Betty No Last Name.” Similarly, the letter received by the deceased dog’s owner included a link to request a ballot.
As the lawmaker asked, “At what point does rank incompetence and malfeasance become criminal conduct?”
You’ve heard about dead people getting their voting rights restored in Virginia. You haven’t heard this one.
Biscuit Rigsby of Goochland died five years ago. Governor Spanberger just restored her voting rights anyway. There’s an official letter, the state seal, and the Governor’s signature.
Biscuit was a beagle-hound mix.
Her owner had no idea she could vote. He was even more surprised to learn she was a felon. His comment: “Biscuit was a good girl.”
It’s funny, but it’s true, and it’s a serious problem days before one of the most important midterms of our lifetime.— Tom Garrett (@GarrettInExile) October 30, 2026
Remarking on Biscuit, Garrett told Fox news Digital that the owner said, “To my knowledge, she was never convicted of a felony, nor did she ever show any interest in voting.” The owner also indicated that a sibling is currently incarcerated, but that should be irrelevant given the restoration of rights only applies to released convicts.
Having previously defended an errant rights restoration as a “spreadsheet error,” a spokesperson for Spanberger insisted, “Of course we did not restore the rights of a dog. We cannot disclose this individual’s information, but we can tell you that it is associated with a person with a date of birth and Social Security number.”
About a month ago, Governor Spanberger was told dead Virginians were getting their voting rights restored, along with a QR code that put them one scan away from a mail-in ballot. She said she’d get to the bottom of it.
Then “Betty, no last name” got a rights restoration and a QR code.
Then Biscuit, a beagle-hound mix who has been dead for five years, got one too. (She/her. Do not misgender Biscuit.)
When a reporter asked about Betty, the Governor’s answer was a “spreadsheet error” with the mail merge. Her explanation for Biscuit sounded eerily similar.
Nothing to see here, folks. Move along. These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.
If this were Scooby-Doo, we’d be right before the mask comes off. But we’re not there yet. You know how we get there?
— Tom Garrett (@GarrettInExile) October 31, 2026
The news comes ahead of Tuesday’s vote on making the restoration of rights automatic for released prisoners in Virginia. In the meantime, Garrett called for an audit to determine how a dog was identified as a convicted felon and an investigation of certificates and citations issued to determine how many may have been handed out erroneously.
