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Gov. Northam at a mass vaccination event earlier this year. (Crixell Matthews/VPM News)
A spokesperson for Gov. Ralph Northam said he welcomes an outside investigation into allegations involving the Virginia Parole Board. It remains unclear what form the investigation would take or whether the proposal has enough support among Democratic lawmakers.
“The Governor welcomes further outside investigation,” said Alena Yarmosky, a spokesperson for Northam. “We feel strongly that the investigation should not come from the executive branch. We will discuss next steps with legislators.”
The allegations against the current and former parole board chairs include attempts to falsify documents, alter meeting minutes and forgo impartiality in the release of Vincent Martin, who was convicted for the 1979 killing of a Richmond police officer. The findings appeared in a draft of a report authored by Virginia Inspector General Michael Westfall obtained last week by media outlet
The draft report, which outlines the findings of an investigation into the parole board’s handling of the case of a man convicted decades ago of killing a police officer, was recently obtained by GOP lawmakers and media outlets.
Gov. Ralph Northam never received draft report on parole board, Virginia inspector general says dailypress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailypress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A recently leaked draft report about an investigation into the Virginia Parole Board that was far more critical than the final version made public last year was never shared with Gov. Ralph Northam's office, according to the state inspector general.