Youngkin donates second quarter Virginia salary to veterans group

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin donated his second quarter salary, which is $43,750, to a veterans group called the Veterans Services Foundation on Tuesday afternoon.

“About a year ago,” Youngkin said, “we made a pledge together and our pledge was indeed to donate our salary and to donate our salary to organizations that embody the character and the values, the shared values to the commonwealth of Virginia.”

The program provides financial support and program support to veterans in areas that state and federal funding does not cover. The governor said he chose to donate to this group because the operating costs are covered by the commonwealth, which means that every dollar donated to the organization goes directly to supporting veterans.

Youngkin said he intends to make Virginia the most military- and veteran-friendly state in the country and touted some of his legislative accomplishments in his first few months, such as exempting $40,000 of the retirement income tax paid by veterans who are 55 years old or older. He said the commonwealth is better off when veterans live in it.

“This commitment will never be fully realized because we always have work to do,” the governor said. “We have work to do to take care of those that stood for us and that will be an ongoing commitment.”

Youngkin donated his first quarter salary to the Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program.