A 2006 Incident in Belmont Impacting Virginia Lt. Gov Race

An incident that occurred seven years ago in Belmont could impact the race for Lt. Governor in the strategic state of Virginia in an election being closely watched by national political pundits. 

Republican candidate Earl Jackson was accused in April 2006 by a young woman who was living in Belmont as a roommate of the daughter of the conservative African-American preacher and attorney of "threatening her life," according to an investigation by the liberal leaning new site Politico. 

The unidentified roommate alleged “Earl Jackson, Sr. threatened me verbally on the phone stating ‘you’re going to die, you’re going to leave this earth soon. I’m going to see to that’ on 4.9.2006,” according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Belmont Police records show that Jackson's daughter requested a police officer be present at the residence (the exact location is yet to be known) while she moved out with the help of her father. The reported noted that the officer on the scene described the incident as “peace restored.”

The next day, Jackson's daughter and the roommate filed dueling restraining orders in Middlesex Superior and Malden District courts alledging "threats of violence and invasions of privacy in multiple directions." Jackson was joined by a second roommate in the order from the Malden court.

Jackson told Politico that no threat was made at the time and said he made the same denial to Belmont Police in 2006. 

On April 20, the roommate asked in open court for the case to be dropped. No action was taken against Jackson by Belmont Police or the courts. 

"Jackson, a fiery conservative preacher known for his incendiary rhetoric, electrified delegates at the state convention and snatched the nomination from several better-known candidates," according to Politico, saying that he narrowly trails the Democrat candidate.

From 1973 to 1998, Jackson was a Massachusetts resident, a graduate of UMass Boston (where he was a classmate of former US Rep. Joseph Kennedy) and Harvard Law School, a minister, law professor and radio talk show host.