Rev. Bailey breaks silence; Resident wants answers after cop visit

Robert Hand says he won’t be intimidated or silenced after police visited his home after writing an email critical of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.

Meanwhile, the man who forwarded that email to police and asked them to investigate, Rev. Cozy Bailey, the husband of sitting Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey and member of the county police Citizens Advisory Board, broke his silence today.

You’ll remember we first broke the story on August 12 that police visited Hand’s Dumfries home on August 4, less than 24 hours after he sent his email to the Board of County Supervisors.

Cozy Bailey told WTTG-TV today he forwarded to county Police Chief Peter Newsham out of an “abundance of caution” because it contained the subject “government target.”

“For your situational awareness. More malice in the subject line than in the rant contained in the body of the email, but we take all communicated threats seriously,” penned Rev. Cozy Bailey.

Bailey’s position on the Citizen’s Advisory Board gives him unique access to the police department’s top brass, unlike other county residents.

While at Hand’s home in Dumfries, bodycam footage shows the police officer told Hand he had done nothing wrong yet, and that his visit was a courtesy. Some people, referring to elected officials, “get worked up” over these types of emails, the officer added before allowing Hand to proceed with his day.

The “government target” subject referred to county resident Alan Gloss, who was critical of Chair At-large Ann Wheeler during the July 20 Board of County Supervisors meeting. Gloss, noting a recently published campaign finance report, said many of her donors are the same people who appear at meetings to speak in favor of building new data centers in the county’s rural area — something opposed by both conservatives on the board environmentalists.

During a hot-mic moment following Gloss’s speech, Supervisor Andrea Bailey is overheard asking Wheeler, “what are going to do about Alan Gloss?”

While Cozy Bailey today talked to WTTG-TV, Supervisor Andrea Bailey has declined our requests to comment. Wheeler At-large Ann Wheeler declined a similar request from Insidenova.

“For the integrity of our government, I feel that we are having an impact at the local level. And should I see anything from the conservatives that is really worthy of criticism, I certainly give it to them, too,” Hand told PLN during an exclusive interview, his first since this story broke.

Hand admits he is a frequent critic of Democrats, who have the majority on the Board and have a track record of lobbying, or approving development projects in the rural areas of the county, despite calls from residents, and pleas from Republican Supervisors in which the proposed projects are located, to conserve land.

Since Democrats won the majority in 2019, many of the most contentious votes have ended with 5-3 votes in their favor.

“My criticisms I have mainly been how the pretty much the Supervisors don’t listen to the overwhelming public comments,” said Hand.

Hand, who regularly speaks during citizens’ time at Board meetings, says Supervisor Bailey should be held accountable. “I do believe that some explanations are needed. I’ve been making regular appearances with Supervisors, and I have not conveyed anything that is a threat,” said Hand.

He suggested Supervisors hold more town halls to hear residents’ opinions on controversial subjects before Supervisors vote on the matters.

Meanwhile, as we reported yesterday, Republicans called for an investigation into why a police officer was sent to Hand’s home. They’re questioning this use of police resources and its possible chilling effect on free speech in the county.

Chief Newsham will be at the next Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday, September 7, to speak about the recently-released county crime report, we well as “any other matter of public concern at that time,” wrote Chair At-large Wheeler today in response to Republicans who called for the investigation.

The meeting begins at 2 p.m. at 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge, inside the McCoart Administration Building.