Tavares Floyd 'publicly denounces' allegations, doesn't take questions at hair salon press conference

Speaking for 17 minutes at a press conference on Saturday, 6th District City Council Candidate Tavares Floyd opened by denying all recent charges against him but did not elaborate, then spent the majority of the time attacking incumbent councilor Ellen Robertson.

The press conference was advertised to Floyd's email list on Friday, and as he began speaking, nine supporters sat on folding chairs inside the Stay Focused Hair & Barber Salon while he delivered his remarks.

In closing, Floyd said that "no comments will be accepted and no questions will be taken." He then dismissed the assembled media from the room, ignoring questions, while his supporters remained.

Floyd served as Robertson's council liaison before leaving earlier this year to begin his bid for the seat. His campaign has largely centered around attacking his former boss. A third candidate, Willie Hilliard, is in the race and has also been critical of Robertson's record.

Hilliard called his own press conference last weekend to announce a handful of endorsements, at which he called for Floyd to exit the race.

The revelations about Floyd, which ranged from major donors denying they’d given him money or knew him to a funeral home business that Floyd claimed to have a stake in telling the media he was only a part-time worker, have put a spotlight on the race in the days before the election.

During Saturday's press conference, Floyd repeated a number of the attacks he has used throughout the campaign about how he was doing Robertson's work for her.

"When I resigned from my position this year as a council liaison, I had well over 1,000 hours in leave time that went back to the city of Richmond, because in the four and a half years that I was with the city, I refused to take vacation time off," he said.

"I'm the same gentleman who came to work sick, even against my own will, or when the councilperson would say, 'You probably should stay home and get some rest,' and I would say, 'Not happening.' Because that's what people mean to me. That's my character, that's who I am."

Robertson issued a statement to The Richmonder after the initial round of allegations against Floyd.

“Richmond voters and the 6th District especially, deserve and expects truth, transparency and accountability in their elected leaders. What I have read is very troubling and I call on anyone who is trying to earn the public trust to clear up any discrepancies in their filing,” she wrote.

In his Friday email, Floyd claimed he was "leading in the city council polls," though none have been made public.