ANOTHER STATE SCHOOL OFFICIAL HAS RESIGNED - Flood Furniture Deal Leads To Investigation

(11/03/2002)

Assistant state schools superintendent G. A. McClung has resigned after questions regarding his issuing a $2.3 million contract to a friend, Phillip "Pork Chop" Booth, following devastating flooding in West Virginia that destroyed and damaged public schools. McClung, a former Ritchie County superintendent, was asked to step down by state schools Superintendent David Stewart, while several different agencies investigate a furniture contract approved by McClung. Booth reportedly charged more than usual prices for furniture and equipment delivered to flood stricken counties, after the bidding process was suspended. "It was like a license to steal," said David Sneed of the School Building Authority. Booth has reportedly faced numerous charges in the past regarding "shaky deals and stock scams," according to Charleston newspapers. An investigation is also underway regarding an $11 million dollar contract for clean-up. McClung joins a number of other state school officials who have either quit or been fired, including State Board of Education President J. D. Morris, who is facing charges of stealing $172,000 from the Clay County Bank, where he was president for many years. See earlier Hur Herald story.

Hur Herald ®from Sunny Cal The information on these pages, to the extent the law allows, remains the exclusive property of Bob Weaver and Dianne Weaver The Hur Herald. All information may be freely used but must not be sold or used in any type of commercial endeavor, or used on any web site without the express permission of the owners ©Bob and Dianne Weaver, The Hur Herald, 1999, 2000, 2001