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Smaller and regional colleges and universities made $132,000 in illegal payments to an association that was created to lobby on their behalf, according to a legislative audit released Monday.
In 2013, the West Virginia Association of Regional Colleges and Universities was created as a 501(c)6 organization through the IRS and was registered with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office in May 2014. The organization was exclusively comprised of college and university presidents, who are state employees.
The group which included presidents of Bluefield State College, Concord University, Glenville State College, Shepherd University, West Liberty University and West Virginia State University was dissolved in November 2015 after failing to submit annual filings and fees, which no longer authorized them to legally conduct business in West Virginia.