Joint Committee on Government & Finance - Commission on Special Investigations

Aaron Allred - Legislative Auditor, Legislative Manager
Phone: 347-4800 | Fax: 347-4819

CONTACT

301 Eagle Mountain Road
Room 218
Charleston, WV 25311-1061

Telephone: 304-347-4120
Fax: 304-347-4129
E-Mail: csi@wvcsi.gov

• Gary W. Slater, Director
• Charles R. Bedwell, Investigator
• Herbert R. Cogar, Investigator
• Roy M. Hutchison II, Investigator
• James S. Powers, Investigator
• Steven E. Staton, Investigator
• Carl E. Hammons, Investigator
• Lisa M. Wilkinson, Secretary/Investigative Aide

LINKS

Commission Members

Originally created by House Concurrent Resolution No. 2 during the Second Extraordinary Session of the Legislature, September 1968, as a Purchasing Practices and Procedures Commission, and continued as a statutory body by Chapter 87, Acts, Regular Session, 1971; to consist of five members of the Senate to be appointed by the President and five members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker; headed by cochairs, one for the Senate and one for the House, presently the President and Speaker; members shall receive travel, interim and out-of-state expenses and shall employ legal, technical, investigative, clerical, stenographic, advisory and other personnel to be appointed by the Joint Committee on Government and Finance; authority of the Commission expanded and name changed by enactment of Senate Bill No. 356, Regular Session, 1980, to include an investigations involving possible malfeasance or misfeasance of matters of the state. (Code 4-5)

MISSION

In accordance with West Virginia Code, Chapter 4, Article 5, et. seq., it shall be the mission of the Commission on Special Investigations to:

• Conduct comprehensive and detailed investigations into the purchasing practices and procedures of the state;

• Determine if there is reason to believe that the laws or public policy of the state in connection with purchasing practices and procedures have been violated or are inadequate;

• Determine if any criminal or civil statutes relating to the purchasing practices and procedures in this state are necessary to protect and control the expenditures of money by the state;

• Investigate or examine any matter involving conflicts of interest, bribery of state officials, malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance in office by any employee or officer of the state;

• Conduct comprehensive and detailed investigations to determine if any criminal or civil statutes have been violated at any level of state government;

• Determine whether to recommend criminal prosecution or civil action for any violation, either criminal or civil, at any level of state government and, if it is determined that action is necessary, to make appropriate recommendation to the attorney general, prosecuting attorney or other authority empowered to act on such recommendation; and

• Make such written reports to the members of the Legislature between sessions thereof as the commission may deem advisable and on the first day of each regular session of the Legislature make an annual report to the Legislature containing the commission's findings and recommendations including in such report drafts of any proposed legislation which it deems necessary to carry such recommendations into effect.