The House Judiciary Committee adopted 14 articles of impeachment against West Virginia Supreme Court justices and rejected two articles.
The committee convened its eighth day of impeachment hearings Tuesday, where it presented 14 original Articles of Impeachment. The committee later voted to add another two more articles against suspended Justice Allen Loughry.
Former Justice Menis Ketchum was not part of impeachment proceedings because he retired. Ketchum was charged in a federal information. Loughry faces a 23-count indictment.
Articles of Impeachment now head to the full House, which is scheduled to meet 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 13.
Articles of Impeachment adopted by the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday are:
Article 1: Accusing Chief Justice Margaret Workman and Justice Robin Davis of signing and approving contracts to overpay certain senior status judges. This was adopted 17-7.
Article 2: Accusing Workman, Loughry, Davis, and Justice Beth Walker of lavish spending, including remodeling state offices, large increases in travel budgets. Some of these expenditures include unaccountable personal use of state vehicles, for unneeded computers for home use, regular lunches from restaurants, and framing of personal items. This article also accuses justices of failing to provide supervisory oversight of the court’s operations
Article 3: Accusing Loughry of taking home a Cass Gilbert desk, valued at around $42,000
Article 4: Accusing Loughry of taking home state computers for personal use
Article 5: Accusing Loughry of personal use of state vehicles, including using the vehicle and state-issued fuel purchase card to travel to The Greenbrier for book signings and sales
Article 6: Accusing Loughry of drafting an administrative order authorizing the court to overpay certain senior status judges. This was adopted 18-6.
Article 7: Accusing Loughry of lavish spending on office renovations, totaling about $363,000, including the purchase of a $32,000 couch and $33,000 floor. This was adopted in a 21-3 vote.
Article 8: Accusing Walker of lavish spending on office renovations totaling about $131,000, including $27,000 in office furnishings and wallpaper. This was adopted 16-8.
Article 10: Accusing Davis of lavish spending on renovation costs totaling about $500,000, including a $20,000 rug, $8,000 chair and $23,000 in design services. This was adopted 19-4.
Article 11: Accusing Davis of signing forms overpaying certain senior status judges. This was adopted in a voice vote.
Article 12: Accusing Workman of lavish spending in renovating her office, totaling about $111,000, and including the purchase of wide-plank cherry floors.
Article 14: Accusing Workman of signing forms to overpay senior status judges. This was adopted in a voice vote.
Article 15: Accusing Justice Loughry of deceiving the House Finance Committee while under oath
Article 16: Accusing Justice Loughry of wasteful spending by using state funds to frame personal items
Two Articles of Impeachment were rejected. These were:
Article 9: Accusing Walker of using state funds to hire outside counsel to author a legal opinion. This was rejected 9-14.
Article 13: Accusing Workman of hiring and retaining employees, contracting services, some of which constituted an apparent repayment of political favors. This was rejected 10-13.
