Dear Lawmakers and News Editors,

I'm following up because the silence surrounding this issue is deafening--and unacceptable.

On March 31, 2025, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Social Services District issued a letter confirming that Lewis Painter was a victim of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The investigation found a preponderance of evidence”--yet no protective action was taken because he was deemed "no longer at risk." That's not accountability. That's abandonment.

To lawmakers:

You are elected to serve and protect your constituents. Instead, many of you have accepted campaign contributions from the very corporations and lobbyists responsible for the abuse and neglect of vulnerable Virginians. Where is your leadership? Where is your outrage?

To the media:

You are the public's watchdog. But where is your coverage? Where is your investigation into Medicare/Medicaid fraud, regulatory failure, and the lobbyists buying policy while people suffer and die?

Here's what's happening while you all say nothing:

•Confirmed abuse. No arrests. No charges. No protective measures.

•Taxpayer-funded fraud. Medicaid and Medicare dollars are being funneled into facilities cited for abuse and preventable hospitalizations.

•Political influence. Lobbyists representing Medical Facilities of America and American HealthCare continue to pour money into campaigns--$27,500 to Delegate Luke Torian, $19,500 to Senator Frank Ruff, and thousands more to Delegates Mark Sickles and Terry Kilgore, among others.

•Legislative inaction. No special session. No staffing standards. No meaningful reform.

I have authored Dale's Law to address this crisis. I've emailed it to every member of the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Attorney General. I've reached out to the press. And I've received little more than silence in return.

Meanwhile, abuse and neglect continue daily in facilities across this state. Families are traumatized. Lives are lost. And the people in power--you--are failing to act.

If you think the public won't care, you're wrong. They will--once they know the truth. So consider this your second chance to be on the right side of it.

I have documentation, names, dates, confirmed findings, and proposed legislation ready to go. All I'm asking is for someone to listen, respond, and act.

No more excuses. No more silence. No more complicity.

Sincerely,

Victoria Jackson, CNA

Author of Dale's Law