Virginia GOP lawmakers condemned COVID relief funding but snagged $750K for his own businesses

A Virginia Republican candidate who railed against COVID relief funds received $750,000 for his business through the Paycheck Protection Program, the Virginia Pilot reports.

Tim Anderson, a Virginia Beach attorney and political candidate, took to Twitter on July 4 insisting his home state did not need COVID relief funding. He even claimed the funds were not a necessity and should be given back.

On his Facebook campaign page in July, Anderson insisted Virginia doesn't "need" COVID relief funds.

"We should give it back," he wrote. "We don't need it. Virginia has hundreds of millions in Surplus already. This is borrowed money and we should only spend what we absolutely need - which is Zero. Understanding Democrats have never seen a dollar they can't spend on something (borrowed or taxed) - here is what I propose: Pay $1000 to every full-time worker who never collected unemployment and worked through the pandemic and every senior who is being hit with the squeeze of inflation."

However, as the Virginia Pilot reports, Anderson's businesses received nearly $750,000 of the same federal funding he condemned and advised his state to return. Per the report, "since April 2020, however, his businesses have taken in over $742,000 in federal COVID relief money, according to data from the U.S. Small Business Administration."

Anderson's Virginia-based law firm Anderson & Associates was awarded $195,350 through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Some funding was received in April 2020 and a second draw was awarded in January 2021. Since March of this year, Anderson's law firm was awarded an additional $100,000 in PPP loans, according to the Virginia Department of Elections' campaign finance filings.

A number of Anderson's other companies including Attorney Landholdings and Defensive Tactics of Virginia also received COVID-related federal funding from programs like the PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.