The MAGA majority on the UVA Board of Visitors seems to be scheming something in the final weeks ahead of the inauguration of Abigail Spanberger.
A BOV presidential search committee met on Thursday, and the full board is scheduled to meet on Dec. 19 and Jan. 6.
Spanberger, who will be sworn in as governor on Jan. 17, advised the Board, in a Nov. 11 letter to BOV leaders, to hit the pause button on its search, “until the Board is at full complement and in statutory compliance, meaning that I have appointed and the General Assembly has confirmed new Board members.”
“As it will be a priority of my administration to stabilize and normalize the leadership of our public colleges and universities, I will make appointments soon after my inauguration,” Spanberger wrote in the letter.
The MAGA members of the Board of Visitors appointed by the outgoing governor, MAGA Glenn Youngkin, had been scheming toward forcing Jim Ryan out of office for more than a year, and finally got their way, with the help of Trumpers in the Justice Department.
Sham investigations initiated earlier this year by the Trump DOJ were used as leverage to force Ryan to resign in June.
ICYMI
- Jim Ryan explains decision to step down as UVA president: ‘Real and direct harm’
- Faculty, staff groups at UVA pushing Board of Visitors on forced departure of Jim Ryan
- Jim Ryan gets the last laugh: Staying on as full professor at UVA
- UVA names veteran law professor Paul Mahoney new interim president
- UVA president search update | Faculty group wants a search committee do-over
It feels like the MAGAs are now trying to rush a job offer out ahead of being bounced out of the majority, setting up what would be a pitched political and legal battle.
At issue: can they can find somebody both qualified enough to get a legit job offer and yet also dumb enough to be a pawn in a MAGA political game – and have their willingness to bend the knee follow them around for what is left of their academic career?
Ben Sasse is a free agent.
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Chris Graham
