FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) – The former chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party has been indicted for allegedly violating a child’s confidentiality agreement during a trial in Marion County.
According to a criminal complaint filed Oct. 23 by the Marion County Division of the West Virginia State Police, troopers received information from prosecutors about a possible violation of West Virginia law during a trial.
Officers learned that Elgine McArdle, 61, of Wheeling, had “disclosed proprietary information and done so in a public manner” during the trial… “on 13 separate occasions.” Ryan Lanewho was charged with the murder of Henry Silver in 2022said soldiers.
On November 13, 2024, Marion County District Judge David Janes issued a protective order for any disclosure of information or records that occurred at the Child Advocacy Center (CAC); According to the complaint, Marion County District Judge Patrick Wilson also issued the same order on July 15, 2025.
On December 31, 2024, McArdle filed a pretrial motion to dismiss the charges in which Elgine “identified a child witness by name” and “publicly announced that the child had made a statement.” On Feb. 18, McArdle filed a competency hearing for one of the child witnesses, again naming the teen and mentioning the interview at the Child Advocacy Center, cops said.
On July 15, McArdle sent “in an unencrypted email a copy” of a video showing an interview with a child witness to the court reporter and another copy of the same video to Lowell Maxey, who was present was recently indicted for investigating the case without a licensethe complaint says.
On July 17, McArdle requested that a “blank slate” be prepared from the child advocacy interview and did so in a motion that was “on record in a public court.” McArdle also filed a response to “a motion from the state” in which she “duplicated portions of the CAC interview,” cops said.
“On August 1, McArdle submitted copies of the whiteboard used in the child advocacy interview, copies of the CAC referral form, which included the name and address of the child witness, the identity of the child witness’s parents, and a summary of the interview,” the complaint states.
Troopers explained that the information McArdle released contained items that “only the defendant” could discuss with his attorney and that “this information must be approved in advance by the court” if it is to be shared with anyone else.
McArdle was charged with 13 counts of “confidentiality of recorded interviews with children.” According to the WV Courts website, A $2,000 personal recognizance bond was set on October 27, which she posted on October 28.
There are no future court dates listed at this time.
