


A Virginia Democratic candidate who was outed for recording sex acts with her husband for money on a livestreaming website has received endorsements from various liberal politicians and influential advocacy groups, records show.
Susanna Gibson, who is running to be a delegate in Virginia's 57th District, is coming under fire from conservatives for appearing alongside her husband, John David Gibson, in sexually explicit videos through the pornographic platform Chaturbate. Top Democrats and left-wing activist hubs have not been vocal about pulling any support yet for Gibson, a nurse practitioner who can be seen in the footage asking viewers for "tips" that were purportedly "for a good cause."
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"They are insane to have not told her to step down," Dave Gordon, the director of the GOP-aligned Virginia Project PAC, told the Washington Examiner. "She is the dictionary definition of disgrace. Democrats have to decide whether this behavior is OK, because they're trying to play a double-game, saying Republicans are bad for exposing it, but that there's nothing wrong with it."
"If there is nothing wrong with it, who cares if Republicans exposed it?" Gordon asked.
The Chaturbate videos, which were reported by the Washington Post on Monday, were available on a website called Recurbate that archived streams. The Washington Examiner found that several of Gibson's videos were available, as of this writing, on other pornography websites, which list the candidate's username as "HotWifeExperience."
Four of the clips were posted one year ago, according to a Washington Examiner review. The Daily Wire reported on Monday that Gibson, 40, said in videos she liked "being choked" and offered that viewers could watch her urinate for cash. Gibson's husband notably donated $5,000 to her campaign in 2022, around the same time the videos surfaced, according to campaign finance disclosures.
Gibson said in a statement on Tuesday that "it won't intimidate me and it won't silence me" and that "my political opponents and their Republican allies have proven they’re willing to commit a sex crime to attack me and my family because there’s no line they won’t cross to silence women when they speak up."
One of the most high-profile endorsements Gibson earned has been from Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), whose office did not return a request for comment. Spanberger posted on social media on Friday, "These Virginians truly care about getting things done for their communities, protecting our rights, and growing our economy," along with an image of the congresswoman with Gibson and other state Democrats.
"Fantastic night supporting @SusannaSGibson with @ScVanValkenburg and @SenatorHashmi as we prepare for the start of early voting in Virginia THIS month!" Spanberger said.
Fantastic night supporting @SusannaSGibson with @ScVanValkenburg and @SenatorHashmi as we prepare for the start of early voting in Virginia THIS month!
— Abigail Spanberger (@SpanbergerVA07) September 9, 2023
These Virginians truly care about getting things done for their communities, protecting our rights, and growing our economy. pic.twitter.com/3R3FnF5Nfj
Gibson, who appeared at a rally hosted by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) on Saturday, has also earned endorsements from ex-Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA), Democratic Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas, and Virginia state Del. Candi King.
"Let’s all work as hard to elect Democrats today as Glenn Youngkin’s staff works going through porn websites 'looking for opposition research,'" Lucas said Tuesday afternoon.
Richmond City Council Member Andreas Addison, whose social media bio reads, "Man of God, Innovator, enjoys amazing food, loves soccer, fitness fanatic, world traveler. (He/Him)," has also endorsed Gibson. Virginia state Sen. Lamont Bagby, the chairman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, has supported the delegate hopeful.
"I wonder if Tim Kaine will continue to campaign with that kind of person, or if he, now that he knows information about her, he's going to distance himself?" Scott Parkinson, a Republican running for U.S. Senate in Virginia against Kaine, told the Washington Examiner.
Meanwhile, over a dozen advocacy groups have endorsed Gibson, a mother of two children who won the Democratic primary in June and is facing off against David Owen, a Republican businessman. The district is viewed as one of the most competitive in Virginia.
One such endorsement has come from the Virginia chapter for Voters of Tomorrow, a dark money group "that engages and represents young Americans in politics and government" and seeks to help elect Democrats, according to its website. Jack Lobel, a spokesman for the organization, told the Washington Examiner, "This is not the first time that old, far-right Republicans have engaged in revenge porn."
"The attacks against Susanna are not only illegal — they are yet another display of how far-removed the dusty, antiquated, stodgy Republican Party is from young voters," he said. "Consequentially, Republicans continue to lose election after election because of Gen Z’s efforts."
Vote Pro Choice, which is "progressive" and endorses candidates supporting abortion, affirmed its support for Gibson in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
"Thanks for reaching out about Susanna Gibson," the group's Chief Political and Communications Officer Sara Tabatabaie said. "Yes, she's an endorsed #VOTEPROCHOICE candidate, and that hasn't changed."
Giffords, the pro-gun control advocacy group, also endorsed Gibson. So has the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Virginia Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, the feminist group Her Bold Move, the Virginia National Organization for Women, and Emily's List, a liberal pro-abortion PAC, records show.
Gibson's biggest donors have been Clean Virginia Fund, a green energy group, followed by Emily's List, and Commonwealth Forward, a social justice group, according to campaign finance disclosures.
Gibson's campaign, as well as lawmakers and groups that endorsed the candidate, did not reply to requests for comment.
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Daniel Watkins, a lawyer for the candidate, told the Washington Post that the team was "working closely with state and federal law enforcement" and said that sharing the sexual videos violates Virginia's revenge porn law — which makes it a misdemeanor to "maliciously" circulate sexual or nude images of someone with the “intent to coerce, harass, or intimidate."
The New York Times published a story on Monday with the headline "State House Candidate in Virginia Condemns Leak of Sex Tapes," yet it is unclear how the videos could have been "leaked" as Gibson recorded them herself on Chaturbate.