Justice Department Violations

When the man (Karl Warner) that President George W. Bush had named United States Attorney for southern West Virginia abruptly left office a few months ago, the Justice Department had no comment.

Now the results of a legislative audit help explain the sudden resignation. It turns out that Warner offered to secretly assist a candidate for county prosecutor, a violation of campaign finance and ethics laws (AP story).

The information was revealed in electronic mails that Warner sent the candidate, Bill Charnock. One e-mail from Warner to Charnock says: “Let me try to steer some contributions your way (gently) and perhaps use a family member with a different last name to make my contribution.”

The audit also says that Charnock, who was elected as Kanawha County’s prosecuting attorney in 2004, used taxpayer-funded resources?including staff?to run his 2004 election bid and had done the same during prior political campaigns of two family members.

Ironically, Warner made election fraud a target of his office after the president appointed him chief federal prosecutor for the district in 2001.