Post by Logan on Jan 24, 2016 22:37:46 GMT -6
Montgomery County residents working to remove Circuit Court Clerk Erica Williams from her elected position amid allegations that she has abused and mismanaged her office face long odds, legal experts say.
“It can’t happen over just policy differences,” said Roger Wiley, a Richmond attorney specializing in state and local government issues. “There has to be some active wrongdoing.”
Late last month, Williams dismissed four long-term employees, and a fifth declined reappointment. The dismissals came weeks after the Democrat’s November re-election, and the affected staffers have said they believed their decision to not actively participate in her political campaign during the election led to their unemployment.
Williams denied that politics played a role.
“I maintain that the employment decisions I made are in the best interest of the office,” Williams wrote in a recent email. “My employment decisions were not political in nature.”
Continued at www.roanoke.com/news/local/montgomery_county/removal-of-montgomery-county-clerk-tough-under-state-law/article_97b214ea-16b3-5bb6-8eba-d48dd7b734f0.html .
“It can’t happen over just policy differences,” said Roger Wiley, a Richmond attorney specializing in state and local government issues. “There has to be some active wrongdoing.”
Late last month, Williams dismissed four long-term employees, and a fifth declined reappointment. The dismissals came weeks after the Democrat’s November re-election, and the affected staffers have said they believed their decision to not actively participate in her political campaign during the election led to their unemployment.
Williams denied that politics played a role.
“I maintain that the employment decisions I made are in the best interest of the office,” Williams wrote in a recent email. “My employment decisions were not political in nature.”
Continued at www.roanoke.com/news/local/montgomery_county/removal-of-montgomery-county-clerk-tough-under-state-law/article_97b214ea-16b3-5bb6-8eba-d48dd7b734f0.html .