MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia State Senate will have a limited role during the early portion of this week’s Special Session in Charleston, as the House of Delegates reviews the potential for beginning impeachment proceedings against embattled State Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry.
“It’s a rather lengthy process to go through all the investigations,” Senate Minority Leader Roman Prezioso said Tuesday on WAJR’s Morgantown AM. “The Senate will go in today and just adjourn. Most of the action will take place in the House.”
The House of Delegates passed H.R. 201, which authorizes the formal beginning of impeachment proceedings against “any or all” of West Virginia’s State Supreme Court members. The House will operate as a de facto Grand Jury in the matter, and an impeachment trial will occur in the State Senate.
23 Senators will need to vote for impeachment for Loughery to be removed from the state’s highest court. Prezioso said Democrats want to move quickly, but an amendment to set a July 23 deadline for the proceedings to end failed Tuesday afternoon.
“I think we should have proceeded as expediently as possible to get this thing over with,” Prezioso said.
Moving forward, Prezioso said the State Legislature needs to take greater control over Supreme Court spending.
“It’s up to the Legislature then to provide a process to do the audits, to do the oversight, and things of that sort,” he said.
Loughery, already facing numerous ethics complaints, is charged with 22 federal crimes. No other members of the State Supreme Court are facing charges, but the wording of Gov. Jim Justice’s special session proclamation left room open for other impeachment proceedings.
“There may be further indictments that come down later on,” Prezioso said. “(Justice) sort of left it open ended.”
House Speaker Tim Armstead recused himself Tuesday, citing reports that he may run for State Supreme Court.