Tavares Floyd reports $300 in contributions during first post-scandal period

This story has been updated to note that the $250 donation to Floyd's campaign was made before the first reporting on Floyd's alleged paperwork violations.

Tavares Floyd, the 6th District City Council candidate whose campaign finance reports have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, saw a dramatic drop in fundraising in his most recent filing with the Virginia Board of Elections.

Floyd, who had reported more than $141,000 in donations thus far in the campaign, reported just $300 in contributions so far during the reporting period, which covers Oct. 1 to Oct. 24.

The contributions are listed as $250 from Melvin Lawson, the president of Seibert's Towing, and $50 in un-itemized cash contributions.

Lawson's donation came at the start of the campaign cycle, before any reporting had been published about Floyd's financial paperwork. He told The Richmonder he has asked for the contribution to be refunded and for him to be removed from the campaign's donor list.

Floyd listed only one campaign expense during the period - $29.99 to GoDaddy for his campaign website.

Floyd's prolific fundraising has been questioned by several media outlets. One group that was listed as providing $36,457.98 of work to Floyd told The Richmonder they didn't do any work for him.

The first stories calling Floyd's background into question were published on Oct. 19, meaning there were at least two weeks in the cycle when Floyd's campaign was operating in a more normal environment.

Ellen Robertson, Floyd's former boss and the incumbent in the race, reported receiving $8,731.69 in contributions, and challenger Willie Hilliard reported $25,556.27 in contributions, though about $15,000 of that came as in-kind contributions from New Virginia Majority.