Petition Calls for Charleston Mayor's Removal from Office

The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has appointed a three judge panel to hear a petition to remove Charleston Mayor Danny Jones from office.

The petition, filed by former Charleston Mayoral candidate J.T. Thompson, says Jones committed “misconduct in office, malfeasance in office, gross immorality, neglected his duties as Mayor” and is an “incompetent person” as defined by West Virginia Code.

The petition accuses Jones of being negligent in his duties and wasting public funds by continuing to employ City Clerk James Reishman and City Attorney Paul Ellis, both of whom the petition claims violated election laws.

The petition goes on to say, among other charges, Jones has illegally received more than $1 million in compensation during his tenure as Mayor from 2003 to 2014. The city charter states the Mayor may not be paid more than $5,000, according to the petition, and no public action has been taken to amend the charter.

Signed by 25 Charleston residents, the petition’s filer, Thompson, has contested election results twice in her history of running for political office. The Charleston Gazette reports Thompson claimed election violations after losing the Democratic primary race for Mayor earlier this year and filed a similar petition in 2010 after a loss in the General Election to Jones.

The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has appointed Judges Paul Farrell, Darrell Pratt and Phillip Stowers to a panel to hear the petition. Jones has been ordered to file a written response to the petition by July 27. The panel will convene August 24 and 25.