THE NEVER ENDING MEZZ MESS

(04/21/2005)

The never ending Mezzatesta mess continues. Former House Education Chairman Jerry Mezzatesta has been indicted by a grand jury in Hampshire County on a charge of false swearing under oath. The charges are related to statements that he allegedly made and gave in a sworn affidavit. Those statements said that he had never solicited any grants for the Hampshire County Board of Education, for which he worked. Those grants, which were to have been used by the Hampshire school system, are also under investigation by federal officials and others. Some educational grant money went to fire departments in the county. Mezzatesta denied double-dipping, his position supported by State School Superintendent Dave Stewart and House Speaker Bob Kiss. Later Kiss removed him from his chairmanship. He was not supposed to seek such grants according to a 1999 Ethics Commission advisory opinion. The Ethics Commission is reportedly bringing a suit against Mezzatesta for his failure to pay fines levied against him. Mezzatesta pleaded no contest in Kanawha County Magistrate Court in December to altering and destroying legislative computer records while the ethics investigation was underway. He was sentenced to 90 days probation and fined 500 dollars. The nine-term Democrat and former powerful chairperson of the House Education Committee lost re-election last fall. Mezzatesta's arraignment is set for May 16th in Hampshire County.

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