DALLAS, N.C. — A Gaston County, North Carolina family is accusing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) of using their personal, coronavirus tragedy as a talking point without their permission.
During remarks on the Senate floor September 17 condemning President Donald Trump for comments the president made regarding coronavirus cases and Democrat-run states, Schumer mentioned the names of people who died of COVID-19, including Virgil Sutton of Dallas, North Carolina.
"President Trump is saying that the deaths of David Pittman of Somerset, Kentucky, and Patrick Manamy of Ypsilanti, Michigan and Virgil Sutton of Dallas, North Carolina don’t count," Sen. Schumer said.
Sutton died in April of complications from COVID-19 after a life spent as a Freightliner worker, active church member, a husband and a father.
"I was just absolutely enraged because he used my father's name to attack someone else without even asking for my family's permission," Caleb Sutton, Virgil's son, said.
In a Facebook video, he described his father's accomplishments, the challenges he faced and his painful death.
"I would've told him about my father and his desire to help others. I would've told him about my father, and how he used his recovery from his past drug and alcohol addictions to help others get out of their addictions," Sutton said. "But, I never got the chance because Senator Schumer never asked. He never asked because he never cared."
Venture Church's Austin Rammell is the Sutton family's pastor, and he said the family wants people to understand their frustration goes beyond politics.
"The Virgil I knew very, very closely for a long time would have been furious that the pain and grief of his family was used without permission as a political prop for anybody," Pastor Rammell said.
In response, a spokesman for Senator Schumer said, "Sen. Schumer was touched by an article he read about Mr. Sutton and has nothing but sympathy for his family."