Markus Schmidt: Del. Fariss' Felony Charges and the March/Williams Primary Fight

Markus Schmidt of Cardinal News joins the show to discuss a busy week for Southside Virginia. Delegate Matt Fariss of Campbell County is facing two felony charges after a woman accused him of hit and run with his 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe on U.S. 501. Meanwhile, a judge says the commonwealth "fell short" of proving Delegate Marie March's misdemeanor assault allegations against Delegate Wren Williams. What do those stories mean for the upcoming primary elections and the future of Southwest VA?

Episode Transcript

Michael Pope: I'm Michael Pope.

Thomas Bowman: I'm Tom Bowman.

Michael Pope: And this is Pod Virginia, a podcast that's taking you to Southwest Virginia Today.

Thomas Bowman: Delegate Matt Fariss of Campbell County is facing two felony charges after a woman accused him of a hit and run in his 2015 Chevy Tahoe on US 501.

Michael Pope: And then there's that primary fight for House District 47, and I do fight. This is where Delegate Marie March of Floyd County accused Delegate Wren Williams of Patrick County of Misdemeanor assault charges. Judge Becky Moore said the Commonwealth fell short in proving. Williams intentionally made contact during a congressional gala for the fight ninth at the Wiz Meeting Center in September.

Thomas Bowman: So what the heck is happening in Southwest and south side Virginia? We've got the best guests to help us understand those stories and what they mean for the election in 2023.

Michael Pope: Returning to the podcast, we're joined by a reporter for Cardinal News. He's currently the Vice President of the Virginia Capital Correspondent Markus Schmidt; thanks for joining us.

Markus Schmidt: Hey, thanks for having me back, guys.

Thomas Bowman: All right, Markus, we've got to start with this incident involving delegate Matt Ferris, who's now facing not one but two felony charges. Marcus, walk us through the incident. What happened?

Markus Schmidt: Well, first, Delegate Fariss is a Lynchburg native and a resident of Rustburg, which is right south of Lynchburg. And he was first elected to represent the 59th House of Delegates District in 2011. And this is a safe Republican district, but Delegate Fariss is facing a primary from former Campbell County supervisor Eric Zehr, who was running to the right of Fariss and who was recently endorsed by Congressman Bob Good. And the incident in question occurred on the afternoon of Thursday, March 2nd, less a week than after the General Assembly adjourned its regular 2023 session, and according to Virginia State Police, delegate Ferris was heading south on US 501 when his Chevy Tahoe crossed the center line of the road, continued off the North boat side and struck a pedestrian. And he then left the scene and the person he. Which state police said was a female pedestrian who suffered minor injuries. 

Michael Pope: So in your reporting, Markus, you identify this woman as Julie Miles. And you say she was in the car, and then she got out of the car. And so when the car struck her, she explained that like she was in the car and then she was outta the car. And what do we know about what happened that day?

Markus Schmidt: Well, if you, if you step back for a moment. Um, so he turned himself in the next day, right? He was then arrested, and he was charged with one count of malicious wounding, which is a class three felony. And, one count of failing to stop after an accident. And one count of reckless driving. So, at first glance, this looks like it might have been just a simple hit-and-run, but the malicious wounding charge really struck me as an odd one because that usually demonstrates intent. So, we sent one of our reporters over to the Campbell County Courthouse to pull the entire file, and it turns out that the woman that he struck was initially riding with him in his truck, and she filed a protective order against him after the incident, which is why we know her side of the story. And according to her testimony, they were driving down 5 0 1 when a tire blew out, and Delegate Fariss then called his oldest son to come to help him change the tire; when he didn't show up, the woman said, oh, Mr. Ferris became increasingly agitated to a point where that he made her step out of the car and walked towards a nearby home of a relative. And the woman said that Mr. Ferris started cussing at her and told her to get back in the car. And when she didn't, She said he made a sharp U-turn and stalked her from behind before speeding off.

Michael Pope: And, so what do we know about what they were doing or where they were headed? I mean, is this a business associate or a constituent, or what, if anything, do we know about the relationship between the Delegate and this woman?

Markus Schmidt: We don't really know yet. We've tried to reach her. She has not returned our calls. Um, there's obviously some rumors in Campbell County about who that woman is, but you know, we don't really deal with rumors, so I don't wanna really comment on that.

Thomas Bowman: Did alcohol play a role in this at all? Um, you know, I say that Delegate Fariss has a reputation in Richmond for being somebody who really likes to drink and is fun to drink with, but also has a history of a D U I charge.

Markus Schmidt: He does have that history, and uh, in this particular case, there was no D U I charge, but if you consider that he didn't turn himself in until the next day, you can draw your own conclusions on that.

Michael Pope: So what's the next step in the court process here?

Markus Schmidt: Well, he was released on a $7,500 bond, and he's due to be arraigned in Campbell County General District Court this Friday at 11:00 AM. And he also told us an emailed statement that, and I quote here, while I have made some mistakes in my life, these charges are false, and I look forward to cleaning them in a court of law.

Thomas Bowman: All right. So, he's definitely trying to insulate himself from any of that fallout. And what is the fallout potential here for the election? What do we know about the primary?

Markus Schmidt: You know, what we've learned from the past is that, um, the previous charges haven't really done anything to undermine his efforts to get reelected. But this case might be different. You know, we're talking about felony charges; we're talking about malicious wounding. So this could definitely play out very differently than it did in the past. And also, this year, as I mentioned earlier, he has a primary challenger. And someone who's running to his right, someone who was, uh, you know, a Trump supporter who was close with Congressman Bob Good. So it's definitely, I think at this point, gonna be an uphill battle for Delegate Fairss to win the nomination once again.

Michael Pope: Yeah. So that candidate is Eric Zehr, right? Z E H R, and so at this point, it sounds like the two of them are heading into a convention, like a nominating convention. Is that accurate?

Markus Schmidt: Yeah, I, I don't think that the district's GOP has yet really determined what they're gonna do, but it certainly looks that way that it's most likely going to be a convention either sometime in May or early June. And obviously, conventions are not really, or in many cases are not in favor of the incumbent or definitely not in favor of the more moderate of the two candidates on the ballot.

Michael Pope: You mentioned that Zehr is running to the right of Matt Ferris. Explain the politics there. What kind of issues is he talking about in the campaign?

Markus Schmidt: We haven't really followed him that much yet because this is all fairly new, and he just recently, um, you know, filed, filed his campaign. But, if you look at Delegate Fariss's legislative record, he really isn't the controversial guy. one of the reasons why very few reporters ever had interactions with him is because he really does like the bread and butter issues, a lot of farming bills, and stuff that usually plays well in the rural. But in a very politicized climate, as we have right now, that just may not be enough for him to win the nomination once again when you're running against somebody who was associated with Bob Goode.

Michael Pope: So I guess the real question is, can he survive this? I mean, you raised earlier that, you know, in previous circumstances, allegations of wrongdoing might have actually helped him in, in some ways, but this might be a different story. Is that sort of the thought?

Markus Schmidt:  It could be that this time he may have, you know, gone one step too far; we'll find out. But if it's really gonna be in a convenient format, I think that, uh, it's gonna be hard for him, especially if his, uh, opponent is seething on this opportunity. And so far, we haven't really hurt much. But, I think he, Mr. Zehr, definitely, um, will play a smart move if he just steps back and let this legal issue right now, too, to play out itself in court and then weigh in on what's gonna happen.

Thomas Bowman: So it sounds like there's a lot more to come. So stay tuned on the Matt Fariss controversy, and, uh, we'll know more on Friday, I guess.

Markus Schmidt: Absolutely.

Michael Pope: Alright, well, I definitely also wanted to talk to you about the topic that, uh, you talked about the last time you were on Pod Virginia, which is this altercation between Delegate Wren Williams and Delegate Marie March, which happened at a congressional gala when one of the Delegates bumped up against the other Delegate, and then there were charges of assault. And then, since your appearance on our podcast, there was a court hearing, and there was a Judge, actually a judge from Alexandria who I happened to know because she's a former Alexandria judge, but I guess they brought her in as somebody who might not have, you know, personal ties to any of the people that were associated here. Um, so tell us a little bit about how all that played out after your appearance on our podcast.

Markus Schmidt: Right, so the hearing was in with County back in early January, and Delegate Williams was acquitted of the misdemeanor assault charge, uh, brought by Delegate March. Mr. Williams during the hearing denied the accusation. He said that he had accidentally bumped into Delegate March. He was trying to leave that Republican fundraiser with Will back in September with his wife. And he also said that he immediately apologized, and the judge from Alexandria, Judge Becky Moore, that you just mentioned, that you, who you know, uh, who was brought in to hear the case. She presided over the hearing and she said that the Commonwealth fell short and proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Williams intentionally made contact with Mrs. March after this.

Thomas Bowman: All right. Well, are there any other consequences that could come if not legal?

Markus Schmidt: I mean, it's definitely, it. It's, it's a very much talked about event, so just by bringing this out in the open, Marie March may have done herself a favor in that regard because there will always be some people who say that Wren Williams did this on purpose. But whether or not that's gonna help that, we'll find out, and that's gonna be one of the most contested primaries, uh, in, in southwest Virginia, if not the most contested ones. So we'll find out how that happens.

Michael Pope: Yeah, definitely. People across Virginia are certainly looking to this election, no doubt about that. One of the marquee races of 2023, um, in terms of Marie March filing an assault charge that was later dismissed. Um, I guess there are no negative repercussions against filing a charge. That's, I mean, I'm just wondering will she face any consequences for filing this assault charge that was thrown?

Markus Schmidt: I don't think so. I think the fact that the judge just thought that she could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt, That her side of the story really was what was factual and what happened. I think this happens in court all the time, and Marie March is facing so many different, um, issues right now in her home district, including several sold properties. And, um, she's also facing disputes with, uh, local, local elected officials in Pulaski County and other areas. So there's so much going on with memory March that honestly, in this particular case, You know, nothing happened. Mr. Williams was, uh, I don't wanna say acquitted, but the charges were dismissed so he can head into the primary with his legislative record and, and just look forward.

Thomas Bowman: You know, from a certain point of view, she has faced the consequences. Delegate March did not pass any bills this session. And part of that line two problem is personality conflicts with other members of the legislature. Expound upon that, if you can, Markus. Is the fact that she passed zero bills perhaps a fallout from some of this drama that she's been a part of?

Markus Schmidt: Absolutely. I mean, I, I couldn't find any Republican who would tell me on the record that she has been blacklisted by the caucus. And nobody that I talked to even told me that that was a specific strategy to do so. But one lawmaker told me from Southwest Virginia as well Republican, that she just really did not have any, uh, favors to cash in anymore. And really, what's not worth it here is that none of the Delegate marches Bill made it even out of the House of Delegates, where Republicans hold the. So it was her colleagues who either let her bills die on a committee or even voted them down. So unlike Delegate Williams, who at least got a number of bills passed, Delegate March really has very little to show for this year. And one should also note, maybe that's not what her base expects from her. It's quite possible that they want her to stand up to what many of her constituents consider the Republican establishment or RINOs even. And that's exactly. She has seized on, she has seized on this opportunity and simply blamed her party's establishment wing for pushing her aside.

Michael Pope: Hmm. I, I'm wondering about endorsements. Is, is he picking up a lot of the endorsements from the other electeds, or how's that shaken out?

Markus Schmidt: Well, it's interesting because there's another, uh, primary contest that we're not really following because it's outside of our carve area. That's Chesterfield County, right south of Richmond. And, uh, we have, uh, Senator Amanda Chase. She is being challenged by, um, by a fellow Republican, and Delegate Williams has endorsed the challenger while, um, Delegate March has endorsed. Senator Chase and vice versa. So there are some dynamics in play. Um, unlike some other races that we are watching for Southwest Virginia, we haven't really seen many endorsements in this particular race yet, but I can't imagine Delegate March receiving many, um, endorsements from fellow Republicans this year around when, when Williams is also on the ballot.

Michael Pope: I'm wondering if there is any daylight between these two candidates in terms of policy, or is this all about the kind of biography and personality? I think it's the latter. Although if you look at, um, Delegate March's, uh, the docket of legislation that she filed, there was, there were some fairly straightforward policy-oriented bills, but a lot of the other bills are really culture war bills. You know, she filed, uh, a complete abortion ban, for example, that wasn't taken up by republicans. A lot of issues. Like last year, she also felt some very even bizarre, uh, legislation. One was that would allow the school district to place details on, uh, school buses saying, um, in God we trust, I mean, these are issues. They don't really impact. Or, you know, uh, improve the lives of the constituents in her district. But they're showing off, of, you know, here I'm a culture warrior. I'm part of this. So, Delegate Williams, he has a few of these kinds of bills, but he really has a lot of, you know, he's a lawyer, so he has a very different approach, uh, of how he wants to legislate. And I think it's, you know, you can think of him, what you will. He, he's done some work and he has brought some bills back. He has got a lot of legislation. So he definitely has a lot more to show for in this contest. But as I said earlier, this may not be what people on this street may be looking for.

Thomas Bowman: Can you expand upon some of the drama that Murray March has been involved in? You know, recently there was also something strange happened with the Lieutenant Governor, correct?

Markus Schmidt: Yeah. So in early February, when she already saw the writing on the wall in terms of, you know, that she probably won't get much legislation passed, Delegate March posted a long video on Facebook talking about her fight against her party's establishment in Richmond. Simultaneously lowering any expectations, her constituents might have about her legislative successes. And one of the things she mentioned in that video was that someone from way up here had paid her a visit at her general assembly office in January trying to force her to vote, uh, in favor of a bill sponsored by Delegate Glenn Davis, Republican from Virginia Beach, that proposed the creation of a Virginia Education Success account that parents would use towards education expenses. But she didn't think it was far-reaching enough. So in the video, she said that the person who visited her told her that she would not throw down pearls before swine over her wanting to vote against a bad bill. So Delegate March did not mention Lieutenant Governor by name, but I checked with some of my sources and was able to confirm that I was indeed Winsome Earl Sears who had paid her a visit. And I also heard from my sources that Delegate. Initially did not recognize the Lieutenant Governor when she entered her office, which she denied when I asked her for comment. But Delegate March confirmed everything else, so it was definitely a very bizarre counter that I'm sure didn't make her many friends in Richmond.

Michael Pope: That is really fascinating. Markus. Thank you for walking us through all of your reporting on that. You mentioned earlier that, I mean, you were kind of setting up what this primary, the dynamics of this primary as being. Marie March is going hard with the culture war, and then Wren Williams is, takes more of a lawyer who's a member of the General Assembly approach. In other words, introduce bills that are very specific to his industry that he can speak to professionally. Um, which is a very traditional way of course, of handling a role as a member of the House of Delegates. And you also said something I think is really important. For our listener's thinking, which is we don't really know which of those approaches is gonna work. Right. This is a new district, um, nobody's ever been elected to this district. This is the first time that voters and these specific precincts will be grouped in this way. Is there, I mean, what's your read in terms of the dynamics of this particular new district? Is this a place? You know, the culture wars are gonna light up voters, or is this kind of more hardworking member of the General Assembly who gets things done? Is that gonna work?

Markus Schmidt: Well, strictly from an observers perspective, I think that Delegate March may have overplayed her hand a little bit when it comes to, uh, pushing the culture war issues. I know that she has a, still has a strong following in her, uh, in her home county in Floyd County, but some support in Christiansburg, for example, or Pulaski with her spoils with local elected officials. I think she has been losing support there. It's been slowly eroding. But you just never know. Uh, one of the important things is that we are not gonna have a, uh, convention deciding the nomination in this particular case. So it's gonna be an open primary, and that will definitely play in Wren Williams's favor. So I think, just like Delegate Fariss will have to face an uphill battle. Um, the same thing will happen to Marie March. I think right now; she's probably the underdog. That doesn't mean that she won't be able to.

Thomas Bowman: All right. Well, Marcus, thanks so much for being on Pod Virginia and for updating us on what's going on in the Southwest and south side.

Markus Schmidt: Sure thing, guys. Thanks for having me again.

Thomas Bowman: So that's it for this week's episode of Pod Virginia. Don't forget to check out our website and follow us on social media for more updates and discussions about Virginia politics.