An investigation by VCIJ at WHRO revealed the obscure ownership of a divisive Winchester local news website. A leading city Republican official has called for his resignation.
By Jaysun Silver
An investigation by VCIJ at WHRO revealed the obscure ownership of a divisive Winchester local news website. A leading city Republican official has called for his resignation.
The Republican president of the Winchester City Council has called on the chairman of the city’s GOP committee to resign, following a report by the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO that revealed the chairman’s ties to an opaque local news website, The Winchester Gazette.
In an interview with VCIJ, Council President Corey Sullivan said that Carroll “Beau” Correll should step down from his roles as chairman of both the Winchester Republican Committee and the city planning commission.
“I think that he needs to take some time off, think about where he goes from here,” Sullivan said. “I'll tell you, Beau's a very talented guy. He's multi-talented, he can do a lot of things. But I think he's made some big mistakes in this process, and he's got to win back people's trust.”
I think that he needs to take some time off, think about where he goes from here. I’ll tell you, Beau's a very talented guy. He's multi-talented, he can do a lot of things. But I think he's made some big mistakes in this process, and he's got to win back people's trust.
Sullivan, who said he has known Correll for two decades, added that after VCIJ’s report about the Gazette, Correll “needs to spend some time rebuilding his reputation, his public identity.”
Two Democrats on the City Council, Richard Bell and Chip Newcome, also told VCIJ that Correll should resign from the city planning commission.
“This new information just is a distraction from the mission and the work of the planning commission,” Bell said. “I think his leadership is definitely suspect, and I don't think he can provide the leadership that group needs.”
Another Republican on the council, John Fox, did not call for Correll’s resignation, but told VCIJ that he’s “not in favor of anything being dishonest, and would appreciate transparency.”
Fox had publicly criticized the Gazette and its lack of transparency before VCIJ’s story, and was one of many city officials wondering who was behind the website.
Correll, who runs the Correll Law Firm in Winchester, said in an emailed statement to VCIJ on Monday: “In my role as Chairman of the Planning Commission, I gladly volunteer my time for the citizens of Winchester, not for Corey Sullivan. I reject his calls for my resignation, and I believe his attention would be better spent addressing the real issues facing Winchester residents.”
“Beau” Correll is seen at a meeting of the Winchester Planning Commission on May 19, 2026.
He did not address additional questions about the Gazette from VCIJ. Correll has previously denied ownership or editorial control over the website.
The Gazette news desk did not return a request for comment from VCIJ. In unsigned emails, it has previously defended its reporting and denied a connection to Correll.
The Gazette has presented itself for more than three years as an independent local news website covering the city and Frederick County, but it has never publicly identified its staff or owners. As local news sources have dwindled in the Shenandoah Valley community, politicians from both parties in Winchester have expressed concern and frustration with the Gazette’s obscure business and editorial practices.
VCIJ reported this month that public records connect the Gazette’s founding owner, Commonwealth Media, Inc., to Correll and his relative, a man in his 90s who lives in Florida.
A former freelance reporter for the Gazette, Milly Mullins, told VCIJ that the website’s editors pressured her to cover car accidents and collect the personal information of people involved. Mullins told VCIJ that she did not know about the website’s apparent connection to a personal injury attorney.
Correll’s term as chairman of the city planning commission is set to end in January 2027. Sullivan questioned whether the council could act before then to remove Correll, citing Virginia state law that says planning commission members “may be removed for malfeasance in office.”
“There has to be specific reasons for removing a planning commission member in Virginia, and it's arguable that this is going to rise to the level of meeting that standard,” Sullivan said.
“When you serve on a public body, whatever it is, public service comes with sort of an expectation of transparency,” Sullivan said. “The flip side of that is, that to be a true media outlet requires a certain level of transparency. So, there's two strikes right there. And you have to maintain public trust and public confidence.”
The Republican Party of Virginia did not return a request for comment. The Virginia Board of Workforce Development, where Correll is serving an appointed term set to expire on June 30, 2029, also did not return a request for comment.
A spokesperson for the Virginia State Bar said it could not comment on VCIJ’s story. The bar’s directory lists Correll as an attorney “in good standing,” who has never been publicly disciplined.
The Gazette published an unsigned response to VCIJ’s investigation, called “Judge the Work,” and posted it on social media with restrictions on reader comments.
The Gazette’s response did not refute reported findings about the website’s ownership or Mullins’ claims, including that the editors used AI to generate stories, and some contained errors. The editorial stated that someone at the site interviewed two people who were subjects of articles. Both people told VCIJ they did not have interviews with the Gazette for these stories.
The Gazette has not provided proof of the interviews or that the quotes it reported were from the two subjects.
When VCIJ reached out again to one subject, Halifax County commissioner Dwayne Griles, he said the Gazette would have no proof of an interview “because I didn’t talk to them.”
The Gazette has continued to publish multiple stories a day and seek phone and email interviews.
Miles K. Davis, a Democratic candidate for a Winchester City Council seat, received a request for a phone interview with a person identifying herself as Gazette reporter Sofia Alvarez on October 6, one day after VCIJ’s investigation was published.
VCIJ reported that Alvarez’s identity could not be verified, and that a woman who identified herself as Alvarez used a personal phone number with an area code in Mexico. The page transparency section of the Gazette’s Facebook profile says that the page is managed by one person in the United States and one person in Mexico.
Davis, in an email chain obtained by VCIJ from an outside source, sent the Gazette a series of questions about its operations. He questioned Alvarez’s identity and professional background and also asked: “Does Beau Correll have any ownership, financial interest, or editorial role, directly or through another entity?”
“These questions concern transparency and the reliability of the information presented to Winchester residents,” Davis wrote. “Just as you seek accurate information about my record, I would like to understand the publication conducting the interview.” He offered to meet the Gazette reporter in person.
The Gazette, in another message signed by Alvarez, replied: “We stand by our reporting, and we won’t be drawn into a back-and-forth about it.” The Gazette did not set up an in-person interview.
Davis told VCIJ he was “totally surprised” to receive a Gazette email signed by Sofia Alvarez one day after a story reported that her identity could not be verified. When the Gazette declined to answer his questions, he said, “I felt as if they had something to hide.”
Reporters Laura Thompson and Kunle Falayi contributed to this report.
Reach Jaysun Silver at itsjaysunsilver@gmail.com.