ETHICS COMMISSION CONTINUES CHARGES AGAINST MEZZATESTA AND ROSS

(11/05/2004)

Two West Virginia politicians who are under investigation by the state's Ethics Commission lost their bid for re-election. Oil and Gas businessman Senator Mike Ross (Democrat) from Randolph County was narrowly defeated by Republican challenger Clark Barnes. Ross is under investigation for having obtained a large sum of state economic development money for a golf course where he owns property at Bridgeport. A Hampshire county schoolteacher Ruth Rowan (Republican) soundly defeated the former chair of the powerful House Education Committee, Jerry Mezzatesta. Mezzatesta's charges are related to unethically obtaining money for his employer and faking letters to cover himself. State Ethics Commission. Executive Director Lew Brewer says investigations involving Senator Mike Ross and Delegate Jerry Mezzatesta will continue despite their defeats. The Ethics Commission is scheduled to have a public hearing on the Ross case later this month. Brewer says Ross and Mezzatesta are the second and third lawmakers in the last two elections to be defeated while they've been under investigation. Brewer says he's confident the legislature will reform the state law dealing with ethics during the next session. Governor-elect Joe Manchin talked about stiffer ethic penalties during his campaign.

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