By PHIL KABLER
Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Ousted gubernatorial chief of staff Nick Casey said he was flabbergasted when Gov. Jim Justice fired him less than two weeks after asking him to stay in the administration despite Justice’s flip to the Republican Party, but said he is furious that Justice blamed his wife, Mary, for the change of heart.
In a news conference Monday, Justice said Casey agreed to stay on after the governor’s party flip, but then, according to Justice, confided, “I’m married to a beautiful little Italian girl that is a Democrat through and through, and the pictures we have in our house are of Jesus Christ, John F. Kennedy, and Franklin Roosevelt.”
Justice told reporters he knew then that Casey wasn’t going to work out, “Not because of me, but because it was going to be tough on Nick.”
Casey said Tuesday that his wife once had a conversation with Justice about growing up in an Italian Catholic family in Logan County, with pictures of JFK, FDR, and the pope on the walls of her childhood home.
“Somehow, he conflated these conversations and stories, and determined somehow that he was doing me a favor to let me go because he had flipped to Republican,” Casey said.
“It’s astounding to me he would use that conversation to make it that somehow he was doing her and me a favor,” Casey added. “It really, really agitates me that he would do that with any member of my family, especially my wife of 42 years.”
Casey, who served as state Democratic Party chairman from 2004 to 2010, said his wife has never held any position in the party.
Casey said his wife is “substantially put out” with Justice’s comments, adding that her actual response would not be publishable.
After changing parties, Casey said Justice told him that, “He wasn’t going to let the Republicans get into his head about getting rid of staff,” but said that apparently is what happened.
“He flipped. He changed his position. I didn’t,” Casey said. “I understand I work for him. He doesn’t need a reason to tell me to get lost.”
Casey said Tuesday he’s now concerned that Justice will proceed to clean house, getting rid of aides with any ties to the Democratic Party – a move Casey said would cripple the governor’s office by eliminating staffers with experience and expertise in the day-to-day operations of state government.
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