Two Jefferson County commissioners – including a candidate for auditor in the upcoming election – were arrested earlier this week on 42 misdemeanor charges based on what the commission president called a “political, illegal strategy” to prevent the commission from to maintain a quorum and to fill a mandate vacancy.
Tricia Jackson and Jennifer Krouse, the commissioners in question, were arrested and charged Tuesday after a report was filed by West Virginia State Police criminal complaints on March 8 for dereliction of duty, which included intentionally skipping approximately two months’ worth of meetings to prevent the board from achieving the quorum necessary to conduct its business. The Jefferson County Magistrate issued the following: arrest Arrest warrants for the two elected officials on the same day, according to documents filed by the court.
Both on Tuesday Jackson And Crouse issued bonds valued at $42,000, paid by Weatherholtz bonding They were released from custody, according to court records.
In an interview Wednesday, Jefferson County Commission President Steve Stolipher – echoing police’s portrayal in the criminal complaints – said there was “no doubt” that Krouse and Jackson’s actions were politically motivated.
“They didn’t want to appoint a commissioner for the empty seat, but we had to do it by law. They wanted to wait until the next election to elect a commissioner, and that’s illegal. [State code] “Doesn’t say you can wait until the next election if you feel bad about the people who might be appointed to fill the seat,” Stolipher said. “What they did was a political, illegal strategy and it broke the law.”
Krouse said in an email sent at 3:58 p.m. she would ““Welcome to have the opportunity to discuss the situation and the charges against her,” but sought to retain legal counsel. She referred questions to a law firm in Martinsburg.
Jackson, who is running as Republican for West Virginia State Auditor, forwarded questions to the same law firm in an email at 6:45 p.m.
When contacted at 4 p.m. Wednesday, a representative from that law firm said that while reporters had called seeking comment, the law firm had not been retained as counsel for either Krouse or Jackson and therefore could not comment on any of their cases.
Krouse did not respond to further emails seeking comment.
The 42 misdemeanor charges filed against Krouse and Jackson include, among other things, charges related to conspiring to coordinate with them to prevent the commission from reaching quorum, failing to perform their official duties and failing to fill the vacant seat on the county commission.
According to the criminal complaints, Krouse and Jackson missed every commission meeting scheduled in the county from Sept. 19 to Nov. 16, 2023. The first missed meeting came as the county commission was scheduled for Sept. 21 to appoint someone from a list provided by the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee to fill a seat left vacant earlier in the summer.
From that meeting through November, both commissioners “willfully and willfully missed seven consecutive commission meetings with the express purpose of denying a quorum and preventing the appointment of a fifth commissioner,” the complaints say.
Only after a local business filed a lawsuit in November and a judge ordered commissioners to do their elected duty and attend meetings Was this position filled?.
However, in the months leading up to that, dozens of other commission tasks went unaddressed because a quorum was not reached, Stolipher said. On the day of each scheduled meeting, Stolipher and County Commission Vice President Jane Tabb met to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, failed to meet a quorum, and adjourned their meetings.
According to the criminal complaint, which details at least 18 specific examples, the lack of a quorum during this period meant that the commission was unable to fill vacancies, pay bills, approve contracts, and approve grants, among other things to apply.
“There are some things that we have not been able to respond to during this time and the costs of which we can never really estimate. So much has been lost in that time,” Stolipher said. “So yeah, some of what we’ve lost is immeasurable.”
It includes the loss of at least three “very large companies” that had considered locating in Jefferson County but have since withdrawn from discussions.
“Companies don’t want to locate in a county where there is this political unrest,” Stolipher said. “These were companies that would create perhaps hundreds of high-paying, high-tech jobs, and they are no longer interested in us. We lost that.”
A fifth-generation farmer living on his family’s land, Stolipher said he ran for office to improve his home county and serve the people who live there. He is frustrated that the negative impact of Jackson and Krouse’s actions outweighs the potential for good development and good news in the state.
“If you get elected, run for office, at least get the job done. If not, step back and let someone else do it,” Stolipher said. “I would much rather talk to you right now about a new company coming to Jefferson County and creating a few hundred new jobs rather than dealing with this unnecessary drama. You were selected for a job and chose not to show up. That’s the least you can do: show up.”
A civil impeachment hearing for Krouse and Jackson is scheduled for later this month, Stolipher said.
