Governor’s office, West Virginia lawmakers spar on Commerce Department

Gov. Jim Justice was asked why representatives from the Department of Commerce were unable to attend the meeting of the Joint Legislative Committee on Flooding during legislative interims June 26 in Charleston.

The two Commerce Department officials who were on the agenda to speak – Mary Jo Thompson, director of community development in the Department of Commerce, and Russell Tarry, director of the West Virginia Office of Economic Opportunity – both resigned on June 22, which was the same day they confirmed they would testify. The committee was not informed of the resignations until the start of the meeting.