Pace-O-Matic and people associated with the so-called “skill games” developer were the largest donors to a federal political action committee that was among the highest contributors to Sen. Aaron Rouse in his campaigns for lieutenant governor and state Senate.
That money — about $135,000 — was initially donated by Pace-O-Matic and people associated with the developer to the federally registered Our States Matter PAC. Our States Matter disbursed $195,000 to Rouse’s campaigns within a roughly four-month period, according to data collected by the State Board of Elections. The origin of most of that money was not discoverable until about six weeks after the Democratic primary election for lieutenant governor took place.
That delay in reporting is due to a difference in reporting requirements and deadlines between the Federal Election Commission and the State Board of Elections during the 2025 “off-year” elections. That difference in reporting deadlines created a loophole that allows for federal PACs to temporarily shield the source of their money, even as they contribute to state candidates in Virginia’s off-year elections.
The FEC required federal PACs to file financial reports on a quarterly or monthly basis during the 2024 election year. During the 2025 “off-year,” or a year when a federal election is not normally held, the reporting schedule changed to twice a year — with deadlines on July 31 and Dec. 31 — well after Virginia’s primary and general elections. That gives federal PACs free rein to contribute to candidates in Virginia’s elections without voters knowing the origin of the money to the PACs until well after the election has concluded.
From Pace-O-Matic to Our States Matter to Rouse, a timeline
Our States Matter had received $15,000 from POM of Virginia on Dec. 31. The PAC donated $15,000 to Rouse for Virginia that same day.
On March 24, POM of Virginia, an affiliate of Pace-O-Matic Inc., according to Open Secrets, contributed $70,000 to Our States Matter. That same day, Karmin Pace, a co-founder of the so-called “skill games” developing company, donated $25,000 to Our States Matter. Two days later, on March 26, Paul Goldean, president and CEO of Pace-O-Matic Inc., donated $25,000 to Our States Matter.
On March 31, Our States Matter donated $120,000 total to Rouse’s two campaigns: Rouse for Virginia and Rouse for Senate. The PAC also donated $1,000 that day to Shannon Taylor for Virginia. Taylor was seeking the Democratic nomination for attorney general. She lost to Jay Jones.
On April 3, Rouse for Senate reported receiving another $60,000 from Our States Matter, according to data compiled by the State Board of Elections, though it’s unclear where that money originated from.
Pace-O-Matic had contributed directly — outside of the PAC — to three statewide primary candidates in 2025, including another $30,000 to Rouse, $35,000 to former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney in his bid for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, and $10,000 to Jay Jones in his bid for the Democratic nomination for attorney general. The developer had contributed $20,000 directly to Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt County, according to data compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. Austin, along with the entire House of Delegates, is up for election this year as well.
Pace-O-Matic, or representatives of the developer, did not respond when asked why the organization contributed at least $135,000 to Our States Matter instead of directly to Rouse’s campaigns.
Rouse, a Democrat from Virginia Beach, lost his bid to be the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor, as did Stoney. Rouse is up for reelection in the state Senate in 2027, along with the rest of the chamber. His office declined to comment on this story.
Jones won his primary and will face Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares in the General Election. Austin won his primary as well and will face Democrat Sharron Burgess in the solidly Republican 37th District.
Rouse isn’t the only LG primary candidate who took federal PAC money
Federal PACs were among the top contributors to state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield County, in her bid for lieutenant governor. Hashmi won the June 17 primary.
Hashmi received just over $1 million from the Democratic Lieutenant Governor’s Association PAC though the first contribution was distributed to her campaign after the June primary. Before the primary, she received about $108,000 in in-kind contributions from VoteProChoice PAC, both federally registered political action committees.
Hashmi was the top recipient of funds from DLGA PAC in the FEC reporting period that spans from January to June 2025. The PAC donated $1 million to her campaign on June 23 and $35,000 on June 27. The Democratic Party of Virginia also received $50,000 from the PAC. Top contributors to the PAC between January and June include Meta Platforms, Inc., Lockheed Martin Employees PAC, Elevance Health, AstraZeneca, Phrma, Amazon PAC, and The NEA Fund for Children & Public Education, among others, according to data compiled by the FEC.
“Throughout her public service career, Senator Hashmi has been a steadfast advocate for transparency and meaningful campaign finance reform. She is committed to exploring and resolving these types of issues head-on — whether by pushing for more frequent federal PAC reporting or exploring other commonsense solutions,” a spokesperson for Hashmi’s campaign said, when asked about the lack of transparency created by the misalignment of FEC and state reporting deadlines during off-year elections.
The roughly $108,000 in in-kind contributions that Hashmi’s lieutenant governor campaign received from VoteProChoice PAC included digital advertising, texting services, media production and staff time, according to VPAP.
Top donors to VoteProChoice PAC include Sonjia Smith, a philanthropist from Charlottesville, who contributed at least $140,000 to the PAC between May and June, according to FEC data. Smith also contributed $475,000 directly to Hashmi’s campaign, according to VPAP.
Smith said she is “proud to support pro-choice Democrats throughout Virginia and the country,” along with “many organizations advocating for reproductive rights and pro-choice candidates, like Planned Parenthood, Women Vote, and VoteProChoice,” when asked why she chose to contribute to VoteProChoice PAC.
She added that she supports the organization’s effort to inform voters across the country of candidates’ records regarding reproductive health care in the 2025 and 2026 elections and estimated that the PAC likely supported hundreds of Democrats that she has also supported.
“They do great work bringing substantive information to voters and they are a powerhouse, women-led organization,” she said. “Sen. Hashmi has been, and is, a fearless champion for reproductive rights, and someone who digs into the details and gets the job done. Ghazala is an incredible person, an effective leader, and a person of character and determination.”
“A lot of people doubted Ghazala, when she first ran for State Senate and in this campaign for Lt. Governor, too. But she proved them wrong, and she earned her victory in a very close primary with many good candidates, and I couldn’t be prouder to continue to support her. I’m happy to be a public, very enthusiastic supporter of hers,” Smith said, and added that she plans to contribute to Hashmi’s general election campaign.
