CHARLESTON – On the eve of oral arguments, the state Court denied a former candidate’s motion to intervene in the case regarding the legality of the appointment to fill a House of Delegates vacancy from Wayne County.
In the February 8 motion, the court also allowed petitioner Jeff Maynard, the chairman of the Wayne County Republican Executive Committee, to file a reply to a response despite a filed opposition from Gov. Jim Justice’s office and the state Republican Party. The motion also allowed Jason Stephens, the candidate who hoped to intervene in the case as a party, to file an amicus brief.
Gov. Jim Justice
CHARLESTON – Gov. Jim Justice and the West Virginia Republican Party are confused about how legislative appointments work, according to the chairman of the Wayne County Republican Executive Committee.
In a reply to the state GOP in his petition before the state Supreme Court, Jeff Maynard says Justice is mandated to fill the vacancy in the 19th House of Delegates District with one of the three names presented to him in a January 14 letter from Maynard and the Wayne County GOP Executive Committee.
Justice, however, chose to pick a name from a second list submitted to him January 21 by the state Republican Party, which maintains the first list was invalid because the state party wasn’t involved in the process.
Gov. Jim Justice
CHARLESTON – Gov. Jim Justice maintains the first list of potential replacements from Wayne County to fill a recent House of Delegates vacancy did not meet state code, and the state Republican Party agrees.
The governor’s office, through Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s office, submitted its response February 1 to a petition filed by Wayne County Republican Executive Committee Chairman Jeff Maynard, who says Justice did not follow law in how he chose a candidate to fill the seat vacated by Derrick Evans, the lawmaker who took part in the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol.
In its own response, the state Republican Party agrees with the governor’s office.