Coal operator Laurita pleads not guilty in election fraud case

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Morgantown coal operator on Monday pleaded not guilty to charges that, for more than three years, he schemed to funnel illegal campaign contributions to four candidates for federal political office.

James L. Laurita Jr. entered the not guilty plea during an initial appearance in federal court in Clarksburg before U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert. Laurita was released on his own recognizance, according to a spokeswoman for the local U.S. Attorney’s office.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred from March 2010 to July 2013, according to the indictment and a statement from the Justice Department.

While the indictment did not identify the federal candidates by name, it does say one was a candidate for election and re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, another a candidate for election and re-election to the U.S. Senate, a third a candidate for election and re-election to the House or the Senate, and the fourth a candidate for election to the House.

During the election cycles in question, Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., won election and then re-election to the House, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., won election and then re-election to the Senate, and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., won re-election to the House and then election to the Senate.

The indictment does not specify that the candidates were from West Virginia, but it does say the crimes alleged occurred in the state’s northern federal court district and elsewhere.

On Friday, prosecutors filed a motion asking for a court order to keep confidential discovery material that is provided to the defense.

The motion from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas said, “Many of the discovery documents and items contain or include sensitive and personal identifying information about various individuals,” and the discovery materials include “confidential submissions to the Federal Election Commission.”

The motion said, because the discovery documents “are voluminous,” the expense of time and other resources to redact the material “is not a guarantee that such information will not remain due to human error, or otherwise.”