1/10/2003

Secretary of State sued

CHARLESTON, W.Va.
By CHRIS STRATTON, Staff Writer

Shortly after assuming his office, West Virginia Secretary of State Joe Manchin fired the offices only criminal investigator, in order to stop political corruption investigations in Logan and Boone counties, a lawsuit filed earlier this week alleges.

An attorney for Damon Sloan of Barboursville filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Kanawha County Circuit Court alleging that, in addition to being fired in order to stop criminal investigations of prominent political figures in Logan and Boone counties, he was also fired due to his support for Manchins opponent in the 2000 election, Charlotte Pritt.

Sloan had been employed as the Secretary of States sole criminal investigator since Jan. 13, 1989. Since his firing on March 15, 2001, the office has had no investigator.

Prior to the firing, Sloan had started the Boone and Logan investigations. Following the 2000 Primary Election, Sloan had received a request from the prosecuting attorney of Boone County to investigate the possible fraudulent use of as many as 500 absentee ballots, the lawsuit states.

In the Logan County investigation Sloan was examining allegations of absentee ballot fraud, vote buying, influence peddling and exchanging tax breaks for political support, among other things, according to confidential sources.

Sloan was given his termination letter on March 1, 2001. The letter was signed by Manchins Chief of Staff Larry Puccio, who is also a named defendant in the lawsuit.

Sources say that, upon assuming office, Puccio asked Sloan for a list of the targets of the investigations in Boone and Logan counties. It was shortly thereafter when Sloan received the termination letter.

The sources also say Puccio specifically asked if one particular Logan County politician was a target and he was. That politician then received a gubernatorial appointment.

After giving the termination letter to Sloan, Puccio immediately seized Sloans investigative files, the sources say.

According to the confidential sources, the Logan County investigation reached up to state-level politicians.

The complaint filed in the lawsuit states, [Manchin and Puccio] promised politicians being investigated that when Manchin took office, the investigations would stop and Mr. Sloan would be fired before he could report his findings to the proper authorities. Thus any threat of prosecution would be eliminated.

During a telephone interview Wednesday Sloan said, One of the reasons why this suit was filed was to let the people of West Virginia know that theres political corruption in this state and now nobodys doing anything about it.

When asked this morning whether any of the Boone and Logan county investigations were turned over to other law enforcement authorities for further investigation, Manchin assistant Lara Ramsburg did not have a definite immediate answer and did not return the phone call before press time.

A representative of the Secretary of States office said Puccio was returning to Fairmont for the weekend and was unavailable for comment.

Manchin would make no substantive comment on the lawsuit. Manchin claims the firing was part of a re-structuring of the Secretary of States office.

In response to an inquiry yesterday, The Logan Banner was given a written comment, purportedly from Manchin, which read, As an elected Constitutional Officer, I have exercised the opportunity of restructuring this office to serve the citizens of West Virginia to best of my ability.

Sloan has 30 years of experience in law enforcement and is a retiree from the City of Huntington Police Department. He is currently working for Child Protective Services in Lincoln County.

Sloan is represented by Alum Creek attorney Betty Gregory.