A three-judge panel on Wednesday removed two county commissioners in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle from office more than a month after they were arrested on charges of failing to attend public meetings and intentionally obstructing their duties. I ordered him to do it.
Circuit Court Judges Joseph K. Reeder of Putnam County, Jason A. Wharton of Wirt and Wood Counties, and Judge Perry Jo DeChristopher of Monongalia County will be joined by Jefferson County Commissioners Jennifer Clouse and Tricia Jackson. He “engaged in a significant pattern of conduct,” he wrote in a written decision. For willfully, knowingly, and willfully refusing to perform his duties. ”
Mr. Krause and Mr. Jackson, who is also the Republican candidate for state auditor, were arrested in March and arraigned in Jefferson County Magistrate Court on 42 misdemeanor charges ranging from failure to act in official capacity to conspiracy to commit a state crime. A petition to remove the two women was filed by the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office in November, and a three-judge panel heard the case in late March.
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Neither Mr. Close nor Mr. Jackson responded to emails requesting comment from The Associated Press.
In a public Facebook post, Jackson said he is working with his attorney to appeal the decision and remains a candidate for state auditor.
Two county commissioners in West Virginia have been arrested and removed from office for intentionally absenting themselves from a public meeting.
“The election has been overturned and the will of the people has been subverted,” Jackson wrote. “I have no intention of surrendering and will challenge this unjust decision every step of the way.”
The issue stems from seven missed meetings in late 2023, with state police protesting the candidate chosen to replace the departed commissioner in court documents related to the criminal case. He claimed that Mr. Close and Mr. Jackson were absent in order to do so. Among other complaints, they felt the candidate was not a “true conservative,” according to the criminal complaint.
The complaint alleges that from September 21, 2023 to November 16, 2023, Mr. Close and Mr. Jackson’s absences prevented the commission from conducting regular business and filling 911 dispatch positions. The lawsuit alleges that the U.S. Attorney’s Office failed to approve a $150,000 grant to victim advocates. $50,000 grant for courthouse renovations.
The county was unable to obtain courthouse improvement grants because the commission would have to approve any costs over $5,000.
Despite missing the meeting, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Kraus continued to receive benefits and salaries. They began returning under orders from the Jefferson County Circuit Court.
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Mr. Klose will take up his post in January 2023, and Mr. Jackson will take office in 2021.
