Oct. 14, 2010
Subpoenas Served on WV Officials by Federal Grand Jury Still Not Public
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Charleston, WV (HNN) – Federal subpoenas were served on WV officials August 6, but the contents thereof remain off limits.
What’s known is that the targets were the Department of Highways and the Office of Administration. Officially, the Manchin administration has declined comment calling the investigation a “process.”
However, WSAZ stated the probe relates to the Fairmont Gateway in Marion County. It’s a $150 million dollar highway project that connects I-79 to Fairmont.
Gov. Manchin’s hometown is Fairmont. Larry Puccio, the governor’s former chief of staff and current Democratic Party chair, operates a real estate business in Fairmont.
West Virginia Republic Party Press Secretary Rob Cornelius said in a written release, “The people have a right to know. They should inform the public what is going on at the Capitol and Mansion. We cannot afford for the Governor or Puccio to not tell us the truth.”
The WV attorney general has declined all freedom of information act requests for the information. An assistant attorney general is handling the case. Some media law experts argue that the subpoenas do not fall into an FOIA exception.
Those arguing that the information should be released refer to the Illinois corruption case of then Gov. Rod Blagojevich who objected to a release under Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 6(e). This prohibits government attorneys (and others) from disclosing a matter before the grand jury. Eventually, under Illinois law, the Blagojevich subpoenas were publically disclosed.
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Subpoenas Served on WV Officials by Federal Grand Jury Still Not Public
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Charleston, WV (HNN) – Federal subpoenas were served on WV officials August 6, but the contents thereof remain off limits.
What’s known is that the targets were the Department of Highways and the Office of Administration. Officially, the Manchin administration has declined comment calling the investigation a “process.”
However, WSAZ stated the probe relates to the Fairmont Gateway in Marion County. It’s a $150 million dollar highway project that connects I-79 to Fairmont.
Gov. Manchin’s hometown is Fairmont. Larry Puccio, the governor’s former chief of staff and current Democratic Party chair, operates a real estate business in Fairmont.
West Virginia Republic Party Press Secretary Rob Cornelius said in a written release, “The people have a right to know. They should inform the public what is going on at the Capitol and Mansion. We cannot afford for the Governor or Puccio to not tell us the truth.”
The WV attorney general has declined all freedom of information act requests for the information. An assistant attorney general is handling the case. Some media law experts argue that the subpoenas do not fall into an FOIA exception.
Those arguing that the information should be released refer to the Illinois corruption case of then Gov. Rod Blagojevich who objected to a release under Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 6(e). This prohibits government attorneys (and others) from disclosing a matter before the grand jury. Eventually, under Illinois law, the Blagojevich subpoenas were publically disclosed.
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