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AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Virginia House candidate falsely claims GSPM degrees on LinkedIn page

A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates listed degrees from the Graduate School of Political Management on his LinkedIn page that he did not receive, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

Laquan Austion, a Republican candidate in northern Virginia’s District 2, listed a master’s degree in political and policy management and American government and politics and a doctorate degree in public policy from GSPM on his LinkedIn page, according to the newspaper.

He also told local news website Potomac Local in February that he earned a Master of Arts from GW.

He admitted last week that he did not receive a degree beyond a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Drew University in New Jersey. He said he is “in pursuit” of the GSPM degrees listed on the page, according to the report.

As of Monday evening, his LinkedIn page was updated to reflect that he is a “candidate” for a master’s and doctorate degree from GSPM.

Austion said that he was enrolled in a public policy dual degree program and has completed all of the course work for a master’s degree but withdrew from the program to focus on his campaign.

Austion is not currently enrolled in any graduate programs at GW, according to University records citied in the report. From 2012 to 2014 Austion studied at GSPM, but never received a degree.

His name does not appear in the University’s directory.

Austion is running for a seat in District 2, a Virginia swing district that contains parts of Prince William and Stafford counties.

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