(The Center Square) — Allegations of political coercion have surfaced in Virginia, with claims that members of the General Assembly attempted to pressure the Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors into renewing Superintendent Maj. Gen. Cedric Win’s contract by threatening to withhold funding.
U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., is calling for an ethics investigation into reports that state lawmakers linked VMI’s budget to Wins’ contract renewal.
“The idea that members of the General Assembly would use their positions of power to intimidate VMI Board members by conditioning funding on the extension of the superintendent’s contract is not just inappropriate, it is an outright abuse of power,” said Cline.
One VMI Board member reportedly claims that Sen. Jennifer Carroll-Foy, D-Prince William, suggested that Wins’ contract renewal was tied to the political and racial composition of the legislature.
According to Cline’s letter, Carroll-Foy allegedly said, “I am just trying to help VMI. Cedric is African American. The leadership of the General Assembly is African American. Your board appointments and budget amendments are in peril. You can fix this by giving Cedric a four-year contract extension.”
Carroll-Foy has yet to comment publicly.
The Cadet Foundation, an independent alumni organization, along with the Jefferson Council for the University of Virginia and the General’s Redoubt at Washington and Lee University, has joined the calls for an independent investigation.
These groups, which are all members of the National Alumni Free Speech Alliance, argue that the political interference now threatens VMI’s institutional autonomy.
The groups also point to broader concerns over free speech at VMI under Wins’ leadership.
The Cadet, VMI’s independent student newspaper, has already reportedly faced censorship attempts. Organizations such as the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the Student Press Law Center have already issued warnings about administrative retaliation against cadets.
The controversy comes amid the Virginia Senate’s rejection of six gubernatorial appointees to the VMI Board of Visitors.
Among those rejected appointees were individuals known for advocating transparency.
Tom Watjen, outgoing president of VMI’s Board of Visitors, also expressed concerns about the increasing politicization of the board appointment process.
In the June 28, 2024 statement, Watjen noted that the rejection of board members, including Gussie Lord and Lester Johnson, risked creating a board that is “less experienced and lacks diversity of race, gender, sexuality, political affiliation and ideology.”
Watjen warned that board appointments should not be used to “promote personal and/or political agendas” and should remain focused on VMI’s mission.