When Stolen Valor Goes Right (Sort of)

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears salutes the flag during the opening of the senate session at the Capitol on March 1, 2022, in Richmond, Va. Earle-Sears is a former Marine. Steve Helber/AP)

When Your Own Supporters Accidentally Commit Stolen Valor For You

In a delicious twist of political irony, Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears—who takes stolen valor about as seriously as a drill sergeant takes tardiness—has found herself starring in her own accidental military embellishment scandal, courtesy of an overeager PAC with apparently zero fact-checkers on payroll.

The plot thickens like bad gravy: while Earle-Sears has been righteously crusading against military record fabrication (presumably with the fervor of someone who actually served), a supporting PAC decided to spice up her biography by casually mentioning she “fought overseas”—a tiny detail that happens to be entirely fictional. It’s like your mom telling the neighbors you’re a brain surgeon when you’re actually a brain surgeon’s receptionist, except with political campaigns and military service.

Enter conservative radio host John Fredericks, who swooped in faster than a helicopter parent at a school board meeting to claim full responsibility for what he diplomatically called an “oversight”—which is apparently political speak for “we invented a combat deployment.” Fredericks, channeling his inner mea culpa energy, admitted the ad “just got past” him, as if fictional overseas combat experience was merely a typo rather than, you know, completely making up someone’s military service.

The cosmic joke? A candidate who champions military integrity gets her record accidentally inflated by her own team, creating a stolen valor inception scenario that would make Christopher Nolan dizzy. Sometimes the universe’s sense of humor is so perfect, you almost suspect it has a political science degree.

Winsome Earle-Sears Takes ‘Stolen Valor’ Seriously. A PAC Appears to Be Embellishing Her Military Record
A PAC supporting the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Virginia says she fought overseas — something Earle-Sears has never said she did.
By John T. Seward | August 8, 2025 05:05 AM

Editor’s note: After publication, John Fredericks, a conservative radio host and general manager of the John Fredericks Media Network, reached out to NOTUS and said his “team is responsible for writing and airing the ad in question.” Fredericks said Winsome Earle-Sears’ gubernatorial campaign was not involved in the radio ad’s creation.

“I reviewed the ad and it just got past me,” he said. “I own the company and I take full responsibility for that.”

“I value and appreciate the work; you ought to be holding everyone accountable,” Fredericks said after reading NOTUS’ reporting. “Nobody was trying to embellish her record, she’s got a great record. It was just an oversight and it got past me.”

Category: Stolen Valor