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Election Integrity Local Officials

Report on Fraudulent Board Election in Westridge Hills West Vriginia

On September 28th, 2025 the Westridge Hills Owners Association Semi-Annual Fall Meeting was held at the Blue Ridge Mountain Fire Hall, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Unfortunately, several owners, and in some cases their children, repeatedly interrupted the agenda, creating a hostile and non-productive atmosphere. 

The main purpose of the meeting was to elect our officers.  A ballot had been mailed to all members in good standing.  However, blatant fraud occurred when a group of owners printed their own ballots, brought the ballots with them, and put them in envelopes and then handed them to Fire Chief Earl Cogle without inspection by any Board member.

Board member Luke Jenners had asked that we have the Fire Chief Cogle and another fire hall staff member count the ballots.  Other Board members had no issue with this, as we expected to check if each member handing in a ballot was in good standing.  However, shockingly, Chief Cogle refused to let the Board see the ballots, nor verify if the owners where in good standing, or even if they were owners at all.  He posted a person at the door to keep us out, and then refused to return the fraudulently printed ballots, as well as the legitimate ones.

He announced that Eugene Weatherholt was the unanimous choice for President, with 70 votes.  Just at least four problems:

1) Eugene is not current in payment for all lots, including an unsatisfied lien from 2018.  See attached.

2) Eugene was not on the WHOA ballot.

3)  I know as a fact that there were votes for Richard Urban, as I saw ballots that were mailed in as well as handed in by Board Members.

4) No one verified if the (fraudulent) ballots, or any official ballots, were cast by owners in good standing, having paid their dues by March 1 (March 15 allowance for mailing)

And Chief Cogle announced Andrew Tsui, an owner since September 22, 2025 as the Recording Secretary

Just at least four problems

1) Andrew Tsui was not on the ballot.

2)  I know as a fact that there were votes for Michael Franken, as I saw ballots that were mailed in as well as handed in by Board Members.

3) Andrew Tsui did not declare his candidacy by August 14th, and cannot be added to the ballot, which was mailed out on September 8th, per the WHOA bylaws.

4) No one verified if the (fraudulent) ballots, or any official ballots, were cast by owners in good standing, having paid their dues by March 1 (March 15 allowance for mailing)

Nathan Spinks was announced by Chief Cogle as Head Trustee.  Just at least five problems:

1) Head Trustee is a position appointed by the President, not an elected position, per the WHOA bylaws

2) Nathan Spinks was not on the ballot

3) Nathan Spinks paid his dues after the March 1st/March15th deadline

4) No one verified if the (fraudulent) ballots, or any official ballots, were cast by owners in good standing, having paid their dues by March 1 (March 15 allowance for mailing)

I, Richard Urban, will not be accepting the results of this fraudulent election.  A court of law can review these fraudulent, illegal activities.

A group of renegade owners, has attempted by creating a hostile environment, and with the collusion of Fire Chief Cogle, to hostilely take over the WHOA Board.  They cannot be recognized as Board officers, as stated above. They are free to make their case to any court of law.  

I especially encourage all owners to take heart and speak out as good, decent and honest WHOA members against this blatant fraud.  Your voices will be heard.

I will not be stepping down as WHOA Treasurer, as there has not been a valid election for Board officers.

I will fight, fight, fight for you.

Richard Urban,

WHOA Treasurer

Candidate for WHOA President

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Environment Politics West Virginia Politics

#147-Stop the Prosecution of Commissioners Krouse and Jackson

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Categories
Ethical Business Politics Solar Development

Open Letter to Prosecutor Matt Harvey re Jackson & Krouse

December 13, 2023

Matt Harvey
Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney
P.O. Box 729
Charles Town WV 25414

Dear Prosecutor Harvey,

This is an open letter to question and analyze why you are continuing with the petition to remove my local Commissioner, Tricia Jackson, as well as my Commissioner Jennifer Krouse.

Ostensibly, your action was to compel Jackson and Krouse to return to work.  Now that they have returned to work, why have you not dropped this petition?

Is it your job to determine who the rightfully elected representatives of Jefferson County residents are?  No, it is not.  That is the job of the voters.  I, as a voter, do not want Commissioner Jackson and Commissioner Krouse removed.  Also, you bring charges against Jackson and Krouse as if they have committed some crime, when in fact their actions were a protest against corrupt activities by a government official.  Would not the normal order of business be for a crime to have occurred, and then for a jury of peers to decide if that is indeed the case?  The Constitution provides for a clear separation of powers.  Voters should decide about matters regarding elected officials.  Yet, without any criminal activity occurring, you are seeking to remove my elected officials from office.  This is wrong.

It is also very ironic that the person who is the instigating cause for the protest action of Jackson and Krouse is actually the person who has huge conflicts of interest.  Even if they do not rise to the legal definition of a crime, which as we know, is open to interpretation, they still certainly are conflicts of interest.  These conflicts of interest affect the welfare and well-being of all citizens of Jefferson County.  Should not this be acknowledged and probed further to see if the financial interest of Stolipher in solar development is self-dealing that causes harm to the citizens of Jefferson County?

In your petition, you cover extensively how Jackson and Krouse are only thinking about their own agenda.  However, that is false.  They are thinking about the well-being of the whole county and its residents, not just a select few people.

One thing you do not mention at all in your petition, is the main reason that the entire situation came about to begin with.  That one thing is the railroading of industrial solar development in Jefferson County by Steve Stolipher and his cronies.  The main action that is behind this whole situation are Stolipher’s refusal to put discussion of the Solar Text Amendment on the County Commission Agenda.  No doubt, Stolipher, was not happy with the removal of the Solar Text Amendment by Jackson and Krouse’s votes on September 7, 2023.

One point that you should be investigated is the huge conflicts of interest that Stolipher undeniably has.  Whether some ethics committee panel decides that conflicts of interest rise to their interpretation of being legally acceptable, they are still conflicts of interest.  To give a current example, President Biden continues to say that he has no conflicts of interest regarding his decision making process.  Yet it is an incontrovertible fact that he has many conflicts of interest with regards to payments to his family from foreign entities in Ukraine, China and other locations.

Stolipher has multiple conflicts of interest regarding solar development.  First, as a real estate agent, he makes commissions off of the sale or leasing of properties.  Since solar farm leases are for up to 35 years, this will be a substantial amount.  For example, if the real estate agent negotiating the $15,600,000 35 year lease for the Wild Hill Solar project hypothetically received just a 3% commission, that would amount to $468,000.  

The current Comprehensive Plan specifies preserving the rural nature of Jefferson County, and does not support industrial scale solar farms on rural lands.  County Judge Deborah McLaughlin expressed this in striking down the April 21, 2021 Comprehensive Plan text amendment.  By lobbying during the 2022 Legislative Session for HB 4553, Stolipher is supporting state legislation that attempts to skirt local zoning regulations by allowing solar farms in any zoning district anywhere in the state as a matter of right.  This is in direct contradiction to his responsibility as a County Commissioner to represent the best interests of all of his constituents, not just a handful of large landowners and farmers. In other words, this lobbying is self-dealing.

In conclusion, I urge you to drop the petition attempting to remove County Commissioners Jackson and Krouse.  They have been looking out for the best interests of all of the citizens in Jefferson County.  If voters want to remove Jackson and Krouse they will decide that issue at the ballot box at their next reelection. 

Sincerely,

Richard Urban
Shannondale
Harpers Ferry, WV