A West Virginia senator was relieved of his committee assignments after being arrested earlier this month for disorderly conduct and causing a public nuisance.
“Above all, I am deeply concerned for our friend and colleague, Senator Mike Maroney,” said Craig Blair, president of the West Virginia Senate, in a statement Wednesday morning. “The facts that have come to light are disturbing and I am disappointed. But at this time, our primary focus is Senator Maroney’s well-being.”
The alleged incident occurred on August 4 at around 1 p.m. According to a criminal complaint filed in Marshall County District Court, employees at Gumby’s in Glen Dale, West Virginia, called police to report a person masturbating in a game room. Employees observed him on surveillance cameras. When a police officer approached him, Maroney denied the act and left the establishment.
The incident was previously reported by the Wheeling intelligence.
“Like all citizens, Senator Maroney is entitled to a fair hearing as this matter works its way through the legal system,” Blair said in the statement. “We join in praying for our friend Mike and his family as he grapples with these matters. The allegations are still under investigation, but if true, this accusation obviously does not meet the standard of what we expect from our elected representatives in the West Virginia State Senate.”
Maroney, 56, a Marshall County Republican and physician, was chairman of the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee.
He was first elected to the Senate in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. Maroney lost to his opponent Chris Rose during the primaries in May.
Maroney did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
