Comstock Reported $522K+ In Lobbying Compensation During Casino Campaign

TYSONS, VA — Comstock Hospitality Holdings’ lobbyists reported more than $522,000 in Part II lobbying compensation across disclosure statements tied to the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Virginia General Assembly sessions, according to a Patch review of filings with the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council.

Patch reviewed every lobbying disclosure statement filed on behalf of Comstock Hospitality Holdings with the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council covering lobbying activity related to the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Virginia General Assembly sessions.

The disclosures provide the first comprehensive public accounting of the company's reported lobbying compensation, lobbying subjects and certain lobbying-related expenditures during the company's campaign to authorize a Fairfax County casino.

Reported Lobbying Compensation By Disclosure Year

• 2023–2024: $54,513.00
• 2024–2025: $218,765.66
• 2025–2026: $249,400.00
• Three-Year Total: $522,678.66

The review found Comstock reported paying $54,513 in lobbying compensation for 2023-2024 activity, $218,765.66 for 2024-2025 activity and $249,400 for 2025-2026 activity, for a combined three-year total of $522,678.66.

The figure reflects compensation reported for lobbying services and does not include political donations or all lobbying-related expenses, such as communications, meals, travel or reimbursements, which were included or discussed separately in some prior Patch reporting.

The disclosures also show the company's lobbying priorities evolved as the proposal advanced through the General Assembly, while its lobbying team expanded and changed during the same period.

Lobbying Focus Narrowed As Casino Proposal Advanced

The earliest disclosures, covering lobbying activity during 2023-2024, primarily described broad legislative and executive matters involving Comstock Hospitality Holdings. Lobbyists reported working on general legislative issues, executive branch matters and real estate development, while one disclosure referenced "issues relating to a potential casino in Northern Virginia."

By the next reporting cycle, the disclosures reflected a more targeted legislative effort. Lobbyists reported working on the "Proposed Fairfax County casino," legislative initiatives affecting Comstock Hospitality Holdings and broader issues concerning the company.

Evolution of Reported Lobbying Subjects

• 2023-2024: Legislative matters, executive matters, real estate development, potential Northern Virginia casino
• 2024-2025: Proposed Fairfax County casino, legislative initiatives
• 2025-2026: Casino gaming, Fairfax County host locality, Northern Virginia entertainment district legislation

The most recent disclosures, covering lobbying activity during 2025 and 2026, focused even more specifically on casino-related legislation. Subjects included casino gaming, legislation authorizing Fairfax County as a casino host locality and "Issue relating to the Northern Virginia entertainment district legislation."

Those disclosures coincided with Comstock's legislative effort to authorize a casino and entertainment district in Tysons. The proposal was ultimately halted after Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed legislation that would have authorized Fairfax County to hold a local referendum on the project. County leaders later praised the governor's decision, saying residents had made their opposition to the proposal clear.

Lobbying Team Evolved During Three-Year Campaign

The disclosures also document changes to Comstock's lobbying team during the three-year period.

For lobbying activity during the 2024 session, the company reported retaining David Jones, Matthew James, Robert Crockett, Kyle Shreve and Teddy Petersen. Those lobbyists reported $54,513 in combined lobbying compensation.

Comstock Lobbying Team By VA Legislative Session

• 2024: David Jones, Matthew James, Robert Crockett, Kyle Shreve, Teddy Petersen
• 2025: David Jones, Matthew James, Robert Crockett (and Kyle Shreve), Kathy Neilson, Susan Gaston, David May (and Alexander Macaulay), Mindy Carlin (and Michael Carlin), Mark Snesavage
• 2026: Kathy Neilson, David May (and Alexander Macaulay,) Mindy Carlin (and Michael Carlin, Annika Eng, and Cassidy Taylor), Angela Bezik, Chris Petersen, Mark Snesavage

For the 2025 legislative session, the team expanded to include Kathy Neilson, Susan Gaston, David May and Mindy Carlin while continuing to use several existing lobbyists. Incorporated filings submitted by Robert Crockett, David May and Mindy Carlin included compensation for additional lobbyists and prevented duplicate reporting. Together, the disclosures reported $218,765.66 in lobbying compensation.

For lobbying during the most recent legislative session, Comstock reported using Kathy Neilson, David May, Mindy Carlin, Angela Bezik, Chris Petersen and Mark Snesavage. Their disclosures reported $249,400 in lobbying compensation.

Separately, Patch's review of Virginia lobbying registrations found that several lobbyists retained by Comstock also represented casino operators, gaming terminal companies or resort interests during the same period they represented Comstock. Virginia law permits lobbyists to represent multiple clients, and the records reviewed by Patch do not suggest any improper conduct.

Disclosures Detail Lobbying-Related Expenditures

While most disclosures reported few expenditures beyond compensation, some filings documented additional lobbying-related spending.

Among the most notable was Mark Snesavage's 2025 disclosure, which reported $210,000 in communications expenditures, along with $4,860.49 in events, entertainment, meals and travel expenses and $4,221.37 in reimbursements for personal living and travel expenses. His filing reported $219,081.86 in total expenditures in addition to $20,000 in reported lobbying compensation.

Mindy Carlin's filings also reported lobbying-related expenditures beyond compensation, including reimbursements for expenses and other lobbying costs in both reporting years in which she represented Comstock.

No Registrations Yet For Next General Assembly Session

As of publication, Patch did not identify any lobbyists registered to represent Comstock Hospitality Holdings for the upcoming General Assembly session. In previous years, registrations on behalf of the company had been filed during the spring and summer preceding the legislative session.

Patch contacted Comstock Holding Companies seeking comment on the evolution of its lobbying strategy, changes to its lobbying team, the disclosures and the absence of registrations for the upcoming legislative session. The company did not respond before publication.

In May, the Comstock released a statement dismissing rumors regarding a separate casino proposal in Herndon and continued to advocate for the project.

"If legislation is ever passed that would allow a casino in Northern Virginia, we are confident that a fair selection process will reflect well on the merits of any serious proposal and that the economic impact of a well-designed mixed-use development that includes, as a small component of the overall development, a high-quality casino resort, would create thousands of jobs and meaningful economic benefit for the Northern Virginia region," the statement said.

Read all of Patch's reporting on Comstock Companies' plan to build a casino on Metro's Silver Line in Fairfax County at Silver Line Casino.