DECEPTION IN GILMER COUNTY! The Power Elite and the BOG at GSC Say, “Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave, When First We Practice to Deceive!!
Please review this article from eight years ago, for maybe this history lesson will put things in perspective for you if you have moved to Gilmer County, WV in the last couple of years — Hear the truth about GLENVILLE!
By Freebird/Central WV SS-Reporter/Rina McCoy-Editor/Cosmos Communicator/Editor Edison -Editor CCC
If a lie is repeated often enough it becomes the truth!
That’s the way things are done up on the hill in the Ville!
Take a couple of lawyers, toss in a gas & oil baron and his family, maybe a “reliable” friend or two and mix with the President of the institution…
Now there is one hell of a recipe for scandalous and unethical behavior!
In exchange for bought and paid for “loyalty”, boards and organizations are created with great titles and noble purpose. Unfortunately, the purpose is soon forgotten after a 501c3 not for profit status is obtained from the Federal and State Government.
These so called leaders of the community just forget about EDUCATION. They just forget that they receive a substantial portion of support from other governmental units, and the general public in the form of tax payer dollars!!
THREADS IN THE WEB:
GSC Alumni Association 501c3 Provides scholarships and funding for general education purposes: Executive Director Dr. Peter Barr in 2007. Revenue 2008 $2,610,304 Expenses Over 2 million. Total assets over 10 million. Director, D. (I owned McDonalds) Pounds, annual salary of $37,754 paid in 2008 per 990 filing. Hey, isn’t he also the Vice President for College Advancement? Wonder what that pays! President Timothy B Butcher. Members of the board include College Director Sue Morris and Doug per 990. Mr. Pounds retains the books per the filing!
Big Joe-former WV Governor, Peter Barr and SoS Natalie T– NONE of “THESE THREE” have turned out to be good for Gilmer County! The Power Elite support Big Joe with Big BUCKS and mostly it is all about the Power Elite putting money in their pocket and the citizens get screwed! Natalie Tennant charged BM, Beverly Marks (former county clerk)with a misdemeanor for voter fraud, and the new County Clerk Jean Butcher with two misdemeanor charges, but it is alleged they are both guilty of felony election fraud for exchanging recording modules in the voting machines. A federal complaint is pending on both the former and current Gilmer County Commission Clerk. Peter Barr GSC President was a partner in the real estate swindle that was just heard in Federal Court!
GSC Research Corporation 501c3 Provides support to the college alone. 3 voting members comprise the board. Dr Peter Barr, Robert Hardman and Dr. Butler, these are appointed positions but could not verify by whom. Possibly the Board of Governors. Assets $287,913 in 2008. Had $250,000 of notes and loans receivable. Books managed by Robert Hardman Purpose to facilitate grants and research. Gee, is this where the county’s $30,000 went to? Was that income declared by anyone?
GSC Housing Corporation 501c3 Purpose to provide residential housing to GSC faculty and staff. Dr Peter Barr and Robert Hardman as officers, Thomas Ratliff (head of maintenance GSC) and others as trustees. Other salaries and wages paid over $70,000 with $16,000 + in benefits but not ID’d to whom. Over $599,000 in revenue, public support reported at 98.79%. Books managed by Robert Hardman.
Morris Foundation 501c3 a non operating foundation whose purpose is additional construction and operation of the sports park in 2008. Who is managing that park in 2010? A certain County Commissioner related to the Butchers?
This Bullshit is never ending in Crooked County!
Pretty nice salary I hear since quitting the college. But you never really quit do you?
The books are retained by IL’s secretary Sandy Pettit!
This story sounds very familiar doesn’t it?
They all do it the Crooked County way!
GSC Board of Governors- at the time of the action in question R Terry Butcher was a member of the board of governors and, if I am not mistaken, Timothy B Butcher was President of the GSC Housing Corporation.
With the “new” restructuring the wife of IL MORRIS – Sue Morris is current board director!
This is starting to read like a WHO’S WHO of “Fuck you!”
“We are gonna do what we want to …and make some fat stax of cash too!”
GILMER HOUSING PARTNERS LLC: a FOR PROFIT ENTITY Manager and Organizer Dr. Peter Barr per the State of West Virginia and various recordings at the court house.
According to Dr. Barr and multiple news reports this is handled by Mr. Ratliff, the full time head of Maintenance for GSC and if you will note a trustee of the GSC Housing Corporation as well.
How many pay checks for him and others?
Dr. Barr managed it so well he let the Butchers prepare a $30,000 promissory note by New Horizon (Jack Jones President) to Gilmer Housing Partners on the first sale of the new housing development which originated from Ex- Mayor Putnum to IL Morris, to the Alumni Association, to the GSC Housing Corporation to Gilmer Housing Partners all tied to the Board of Governors with a resulting suit in federal court tied to the County Clerk’s Office.
The home of corruption for Gilmer County! The Butcher and Butcher Law Firm ignored letter after letter from lawyer after lawyer regarding doing an accounting for the AJ WOOFTER ESTATE – An Attorney for the council on aging Margaret Kreiner stated that the terms of the AJ WOOFTER WILL were not met! A criminal report made to Sheriff Metz was ignored! He stated for the record, “I’m not a gonna go up there and bother them people!” Great job of law enforcement Sheriff Metz!!
Now you can at least follow how the wicked web of deceit is wickedly woven on the hill in the Ville !! You got it now!
I hope you can clearly see how attorneys whose membership spans at least three non-profit organizations within the college can participate in the for profit step child of that same body.
What was their bill?
Who are the investors and how much did they put up for seed money? How are they to be paid back? How much money have they made or lost? Where does it go?
It’s all a CROOKED COUNTY MYSTERY!! Fuck yeah!!
Don’t forget the Crooked President of the college is in it all the same, same. He knows how the wicked deals are woven, and who runs these organizations at all times, to him it is all a game, game!
Dude tells the BOG what he wants!
Have another drink Peter Barr and don’t forget the BARR code next time you park your car at the bar!!
Don’t lay on your back unless he is black = Barr Code
Those who have a good business sense will know why the President of GSC is placed to interconnect with every back room deal and parcel out the money in the Ville !
Is this mess ethical? HELL NO!!
I seriously doubt the IRS would find it legal!
Keep that picture in your head. It is all public information for those with the desire for the truth. Read the latest from Federal Court.
Those Butchers got their asses kicked in federal court!!
Don’t forget that the next time decisions need to be made about what is good for Gilmer County.
But, the Power Elite only think about what is good for putting money in their pocket and to hell with Gilmer County and it’s citizens!
Those Butchers and their Gilmer County Housing Partners in crime can sure weave one wicked web to deceive!!
Here is the US District Court Document that orders the Bullshit company formed by the Butchers to PAY UP BITCHES!!
federal court opinion county clerk
(click the green link for PDF of court document)
If you can not access document via link contact your local Gilmer County Secret Seven Member at:
secretsevencoalition@gmail.com
PAY UP BITCHES? “Sure I’ll pay up my daddy is Rich, but you have to cum back in my room first!”(photo of Lizzie Butcher with drink in hand – one of the Butchers Bitches to Break Bad in the summer of 2010)
CHARLESTON – Former state Supreme Court Justice Robin Jean Davis’s impeachment trial has been continued.
On Oct. 15, Cabell Circuit Judge Paul Farrell, who is the president judge in the impeachment trials in the state Senate for four current, former and suspended Supreme Court justices, issued an order granting a motion Davis filed Oct. 12.
Davis filed her motion a day after the state Supreme Court issued a 5-0 ruling saying the three Articles of Impeachment that name Chief Justice Margaret Workman violate the separation of powers doctrine. It ruled the state Senate also does not have jurisdiction over the claims made in those three articles.
Davis “was impeached following the same procedure and on most of the same grounds returned against Justice Workman,” Davis’s motion stated. “Furthermore, the same separation of powers, due process and procedural flaws identified by the court in the Workman decision are applicable to and controlling in the pending impeachment trial of retired Justice Davis.”
Davis’s motion was filed by Tim DiPiero and Lonnie Simmons of the Charleston law firm of DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons.
The Workman opinion was a 5-0 ruling, with two acting justices filing a separate opinion dissenting on a few points.
In the Oct. 15 Davis order, Farrell also noted that Davis had new counsel of record and that those attorneys needed time to “review the voluminous record” in the case. DiPiero and Simmons recently joined Davis’s legal team, replacing Robert Allen and Pamela Deem of Kay Casto & Chaney.
In her motion, Davis had noted the similarities between her case and Workman’s case.
“Retired Justice Robin J. Davis was impeached following the same procedure and on most of the same grounds returned against Justice Workman,” it said. “Furthermore; the same separation of powers; due process; and procedural laws identified by the Court in the Workman decision are applicable to and controlling in the pending impeachment trial of retired Justice Davis.”
The impeachment trial for Davis was scheduled to begin Oct. 29.
Davis retired Aug. 13, the same day the House of Delegates passed 11 articles of impeachment against her and the other members of the court. During a press conference the next day, Davis was critical of the impeachment process, calling it political. She said she resigned then so voters could elect someone to her seat rather than have Gov. Jim Justice make a permanent appointment.
“What we are witnessing is a disaster for the rule of law, the foundation of our state, and indeed, our very society,” Davis said. “For when a legislative body attempts to dismantle a separate branch of government, the immediate effects, as well as the precedent it sets for the future, can only be termed disastrous.”
Earlier this month, during a pretrial hearing in the Senate, a majority of senators voted down a motion that would have dismissed Davis from impeachment trial. The motion was rejected on a 15-19 vote. The vote was not along party lines.
Last month, Davis filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop her impeachment. And even though Davis has resigned, impeachment might prevent her from running for office again and collecting her state pension.
The court’s Workman opinion was a 5-0 ruling, with two acting justices filing a separate opinion dissenting on a few points.
“In addition, we have determined that the failure to set out findings of fact, and to pass a resolution adopting the Articles of Impeachment violated due process principles,” the Workman opinion states. “Consequently, the respondents (the state Senate) are prohibited from proceeding against the petitioner (Workman) for the conduct alleged in Article IV and Article VI, and in Article XIV as drafted.”
Those articles focus on the payment of senior-status judges and claims Workman and the other justices failed to implement administrative policies and procedures.
The writ essentially says the legislative branch does not have the power to prosecute members of the judicial branch and that a state law setting a cap on payments to senior-status judges is illegal. It says the state Judicial Investigation Commission handles judicial complaints.
It also says lawmakers didn’t properly follow the due process clause because they failed to formally adopt an impeachment resolution. It says because the House didn’t follow proper procedure, all of the articles of impeachment are invalid.
Five circuit judges presided as the Supreme Court after Workman recused herself. Justice Beth Walker and temporary Justice Paul Farrell also stepped aside. Acting Chief Justice James Matish delivered the opinion of the court, and acting Justices Duke Bloom and Jacob Reger also issued a separate opinion, concurring in part and dissenting in part.
While the writ issued by the court is about Workman’s impeachment trial, it could be precedent for the pending impeachment trials of Davis and suspended Justice Allen Loughry. Justice Beth Walker already has been acquitted in her impeachment trial.
“This case is not about whether or not a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia can or should be impeached; but rather it is about the fact that to do so, it must be done correctly and constitutionally with due process,” Thursday’s writ stated.
Matish also wrote that procedural safeguards built into the impeachment process have not been followed.
“In this case, there has been a rush to judgment to get to a certain point without following all of the necessary rules,” he wrote. “We are a nation of laws and not of men, and the rule of law must be followed. By the same token, the separation of powers doctrine works six ways. The Courts may not be involved in legislative or executive acts. The Executive may not interfere with judicial or legislative acts.
“So the Legislature should not be dealing with the Code of Judicial Conduct, which authority is limited to the Supreme Court of Appeals.
“The greatest fear we should have in this country today is ourselves. If we do not stop the infighting, work together, and follow the rules; if we do not use social media for good rather than use it to destroy; then in the process, we will destroy ourselves.”
Marc Williams, who is representing Workman in the matter, called the ruling “an overwhelming victory” for Workman.
“It’s very detailed, and it’s clear the court spent a significant amount of time on the issue,” he told The West Virginia Record. “The fact is that the impeachment process was flawed from the beginning. And now, rules have to be followed, especially if you’re dealing with something as important as impeachment.
“The court, as constituted, has spoken. It’s a fundamental principle of our republic that orders are followed when they’re issued by courts. If orders aren’t followed, then that will create a constitutional crisis greater than anything they could have projected.”
Still, Williams said he thinks the chance of the U.S. Supreme Court hearing the state Senate’s appeal is small.
“This was a flawed process from the beginning,” he said. “The House had adopted rules intended to protect the due process rights of the defendants. Then, for whatever reasons, they didn’t follow those rules. The opinion says their failure to follow their own rules is a failure of due process.
“The bottom line is that when a court issues an order, you comply with it. You don’t have to agree with it, but you comply. We can’t just decide which ones we follow.”
In their separate opinion, Bloom and Reger say the Legislature has “absolute discretion” to seek to re-impeach Workman against based on the maladministration allegations in Article XIV. They also said the court should have heard oral arguments in the case despite the fact the Senate waived the right to them.
“Many of the issues presented are related to transparency,” Bloom and Reger wrote. “Not having oral argument eliminates the opportunity for a more thoughtful discussion with the parties and perhaps greater illumination of the issues for the court.
“Also in a case both constitutionally and politically charged, transparency better serves the parties, the court and the public interest.”
In her writ, filed Sept. 21, Workman says the impending state Supreme Court impeachment trials in the state Senate must be halted because the House of Delegates overstepped its bounds and tried to undermine the separation of powers of state government. The respondents listed were Senate President Mitch Carmichael, President Pro Tempore Donna J. Boley, Senate Majority Leader Ryan Ferns, Senate Clerk Lee Cassis and the entire state Senate.
“This writ is not intended to provoke a constitutional crisis; it is intended to prevent one,” it states.
In the petition, Workman argued that the Articles of Impeachment violates the principles of separation of powers by usurping powers explicitly reserved for the judicial branch of government. Specifically, she said the articles exert legislative control over the judicial branch’s budget powers and appropriate the judicial branch’s exclusive power to regulate judicial conduct.
“There are serious problems with the impeachment process that need to be addressed in a court of law, not in a political setting,” Williams previously told The West Virginia Record.
Workman’s petition also said the Articles violate her constitutional right to due process by failing to afford her adequate due process because she received no specific notice of the charges asserted against her and by posing a “substantial risk of erroneously depriving” her of her pension rights because the House “knowingly ignored the procedures it adopted to govern the impeachment process when attempting to adopt its flawed Articles of Impeachment.”
Workman also maintained the Articles violate the state constitutional precedent for appointment of senior status judges. And, she says the House never voted on the resolution authorizing the Articles of Impeachment, making the Senate trial illegitimate and unconstitutional.
“On August 13, 2018, the West Virginia House of Delegates broke the law,” Workman’s petition states. “On that day, the House adopted numerous Articles of Impeachment setting the petitioner to stand trial before the West Virginia Senate. What nefarious deeds of the petitioner served as the basis for these Articles? The petitioner had the audacity to fulfill her constitutional mandate of ensuring that West Virginia courts efficiently serve West Virginia citizens by appointing senior status judges to fill judicial vacancies. She had the audacity to exercise her constitutional authority to pass and utilize a budget for the state’s judicial branch.
“In short, she had the audacity to perform her duties and exercise the powers mandated to her by the West Virginia Constitution. Despite the clear edicts of the West Virginia Constitution, the House overstepped the bounds of its constitutionally-apportioned power and initiated proceedings to punish the petitioner for exercising the powers explicitly provided to the judicial branch by the West Virginia Constitution.
“This cannot stand. This court must order the Senate to halt proceedings that undermine the separation of powers principles in the West Virginia Constitution.”
Workman also argued that the judicial branch has the sole authority to regulate the conduct of judges. She says impeachment Article 14 usurps that power.
She said she realizes the Legislature possesses “the sole power of impeachment.”
“However, the sweeping authority granted to the Legislature through the Impeachment Clause is limited by the requirement that impeachment proceedings comply with the law,” Workman argued.
Workman is being represented by Williams, Melissa Foster Bird, Thomas Hancock and Christopher Smith of the Huntington law firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough.
