NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Political donors are opening their wallets like never before in a race to be the Democrats’ nominee for Commonwealth’s Attorney.

In the first quarter of 2025, John Butler, a former managing assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, reported raising nearly $560,000 in his bid to unseat incumbent Ramin Fatehi, according to public finance reports compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project.

In the same time period, Fatehi raised less than a quarter of that amount, with records showing he garnered nearly $92,000.

The donations combined surpass the amount raised over a two year period the last time the Commonwealth’s Attorney term was up. In 2021 three candidates, one of which was Fatahi, vied for an open seat, and raised nearly $590,000.

Brian Kirwin, who has served as a political consultant on more than 100 local races, said the fact that there is primary at all is rare. He said the fundraising for a primary nearly unheard of.

“So this could very easily be $1 million race,” Kirwin said.

He said it tells him that the incumbent must be bad for some donors’ bottom line.

The Donors

“In Virginia, you have a reelection rate of constitutional officers well into the 90’s and a rate of being unopposed, fairly high,” Kirwin said. “Usually the only battle you see for a constitutional office is when an incumbent retires. It tells someone like me that for people to invest, for business people, donors in Norfolk and regionally to invest in the Commonwealth’s Attorney race, they think that the crime issue in Norfolk is hurting business.”

In a press release last month, Butler’s campaign touted that his war chest was made possible with the help of more than 520 contributors and marks “the largest first-quarter fundraising total and cash on hand ever recorded by a Commonwealth’s Attorney candidate in Virginia.”

Approximately 14 of those donors wrote checks of $10,000 or more. All either own businesses, lead corporations or work as attorneys for businesses and developers.

Some don’t even live in the city, but are a part of the regional business community.

“Not only are these donors regional, but also they’re giving an amount that far exceed their usual donor amount,” Kirwin said. “You know, a $1,000 donor is usually a $1,000 donor, $5,000 donors, usually a $5,000 donor. In the Butler race we’re seeing the the check writers writing amounts far and above what they usually donate.”

The Marathon Development Group, which is owned by Frank ‘Buddy’ Gadams, has never given any political group or candidate more than $14,000 according to VPAP. On Jan. 15, Marathon Development Group gave Butler $20,000.

Vince Mastracco, a longtime attorney with Kaufman & Canoles who often represents Marathon, also donated $10,000. He said his fellow attorney, Chuck McPhillips, helped organize much of the donations for Butler.

“This is the most important election in Norfolk in the past 20 plus years,” Mastracco said.

While McPhillips didn’t return multiple requests for comment, Tim Faulkner, president and CEO of The Breedan Company, explained why many business leaders are backing Butler.

“What we want is safety,” Faulkner said during an interview at his Virginia Beach office. “That is what this election is about. That’s what has driven, this raising of money, the raising of funds.”

Faulkner, who lives in Norfolk, said he has been concerned about safety in the city for several years.

Following COVID-19, Norfolk joined a list of major cities who saw an uptick in crime. In 2022, 63 people were killed in the city, which marked a 30-year high. Several of the shootings occurred in city’s downtown, which serves as a cultural arts district and tourism hub.

Events were canceled, and at least one business announced they would be leaving due to safety.

Faulkner admits he was one of several business owners who lobbied the mayor and City Council members to crack down bars and restaurants in downtown Norfolk. He said City Council must enact ordinances and the police department must enforce the law.

“I feel like Norfolk has done a good job and moving forward with the ordinances and the conditional use permit process,” Faulkner said. “The police department is continually building up, from my perspective. The missing link is the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office.”

Faulkner said he has seen “large outflow of very capable attorneys” leave the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office under Fatehi. He also takes issue with a policy Fatehi put into place that calls on prosecutors to consider reducing charges from a felony to a misdemeanor for theft under $2,500.

“I think that encourages more crime and more shoplifting when you know you’re not going to be charged with a felony unless you go above $2,500,” Faulkner said. “From my perspective, our company’s perspective, our experience in our properties with crime and the types of crime that has taken place felt like that was a gap.”

Butler didn’t make himself available for an interview on his fundraising, but in a statement highlighted that his donors are local.

“My campaign is powered by the people of Norfolk who are deeply concerned about the current Commonwealth’s Attorney’s ineffective leadership and his inability to deliver justice for victims,” Butler said. “The Mayor and other local leaders know we need a team that works together to protect our communities and deliver real results.”

Fatahi, who worked in the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney office since 2012 before being elected to lead the office in 2021, unapologetically describes himself as a progressive prosecutor.

His top donor is Justice and Public Safety PAC. The group funded by liberal billionaire George Soros helps elect progressive prosecutors across the country. Since last year, the PAC has contributed more than $53,000 in “in-kind” services to Fatahi.

“I’m very proud of the support that I have,” Fatehi said. “The the people who were against me for four years ago remain against me. The people who were with me are with me.”

Fatehi responds

Fatehi said the data is on his side. Crime continues to trend down, according to Norfolk Police and he said the jail population is down as well.

“We see that we have a fairer system,” Fatehi said. “One of the things that I said was that wealthy and powerful and connected people were not going to get special breaks from me. They would get the same brand of justice as everybody else. So I’m not surprised that wealthy and connected and powerful people have found a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor to donate their money to.”

However, Fatahi has been endorsed by several wealthy and connected powerful people himself. Chief among them Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Newport News) and Virginia’s Speaker of the House Don Scott (D-Portsmouth.)

“Ramin has shown you can do the right thing and follow the evidence and research and not slogans and soundbites,” Scott said. “He’s treated all with respect and administers his office without fear and favoritism and that is why he should be reelected.”

However Fatehi’s first two years in office were marked by several high profile courtroom failures.

In several cases, judges admonished Fatehi and his office for not being prepared for cases. In some cases it led to charges being dismissed.

“The cases that you’re talking about are from some years ago,” Fatehi said. “I had some cleaning up to do when I came in. We are using technology and the tools that we have at our disposal [and] we are complying with with court orders. We are doing exactly what we need to do to afford the accused and victims and the community a fair trial.”

Fatehi also acknowledged the turnover of attorney’s in his office. He said it should be expected, as Chesapeake and Suffolk also had new Commonwealth’s Attorneys start.

“I poached from them, they poached from me and there are offices in Hampton Roads right now with vacancies,” Fatahi said. “I have no vacancies.”

When it comes to his philosophy on larceny or theft, he said Faulkner’s statement doesn’t line up with the facts.

While “larcenies” were up 29% compared to 2023, they are down 11% this year compared to the same period in 2024, according to Norfolk Police data.

“I’ve prosecuted hundreds of shoplifters every year,” Fatahi said. “We have held them accountable. I don’t think that shoplifters who steal an iPhone or 18 years old should be felons.”

Fatehi has long said the the legacy of systemic racism from redlining and segregation has harmed and continues to harm public safety.

“I am not going to put another generation of Black and Brown people in custody for longer than they deserve so that certain people can ‘take back their downtown‘,” Fatehi said in a 2022 interview.

He said he has kept to that promise.

“There are hundreds of unsung cases every year where we look at the case and we say, ‘this person needs diversion, this person needs treatment,'” Fatehi said. “You can come to any of our alternative dockets three times a week and watch people in recovery, or in recovery from mental illness, getting back on their feet. People who are overcharged and who come through, we could ruin their lives if we hit them with a hammer. And instead we found a way to offer measure justice. We do it every day.”