Woodbridge, Va. — Documents show Virginia Senate candidate Tito Munoz once belonged to Virginia’s disadvantaged and minority-owned business program.
In documents provided to PotomacLocal.com by Munoz’s opponent, Jeff Frederick, Munoz’s Dale City-based DeBorne Construction had been listed in Virginia’s online directory of disadvantaged businesses. A search of the database Wednesday revealed the company has been removed from the list.
A Munoz campaign spokesman said DeBorne Construction was listed as a disadvantaged business and was never listed with the federal government. Munoz decided to remove his business from the state list when he became a candidate for the Virginia Senate, the spokesman added.
The removal comes after Munoz cried foul when Frederick declined an all Spanish-speaking debate. In a press release Tuesday, Munoz released a list of companies that, he claims, chose to do business with Frederick because he was a minority (Frederick was born in Fairfax County but has claimed Hispanic descent as his mother is Columbian). Fredericks’ company also belonged to the minority business group.
Today, Frederick’s campaign said Munoz’s claims are false.
Every single “contract” Munoz’s campaign mentioned aren’t actually contracts as you and I know the term. They are contract vehicles, meaning that having those vehicles makes a company eligible to do business with those agencies, but doesn’t guarantee business. And, importantly, none of those “contracts” require DBE/MBE, etc. status to acquire those vehicles. They are basically saying that everyone who has access to those vehicles are minority-owned businesses, which they are not (companies like Northrup Grumman or CACI have these contract vehicles too). The leap they are making assumes that everyone and anyone who has any government contract has gotten it because of some sort of disadvantaged status.
-Jeff Frederick for Senate Campaign Manager Mick Bransfield
Frederick’s camp says GSX Stratigies is no longer apart of the minority-owned business program, not for political reasons, but because they graduated from the program and no longer have the need for it.
Frederick will face Munoz in a Republican Primary Election on Aug. 23. Both men are vying to represent Virginia’s 36h Senate seat which includes portions of southern Fairfax, eastern Prince William and northern Stafford counties.
The winner of the Primary will go on to face democratic incumbent Toddy Puller.
