Longtime Kanawha County Commissioner Carper steps down

Longtime Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper announced Friday afternoon he is stepping down from office. (Lexi Browning | West Virginia Watch)

Nearly a year after the start of a police investigation into “an allegation of inappropriate conduct” at a Charleston park, longtime Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper announced Friday afternoon he is stepping down from office.

His resignation comes just days before the primary election, in which he was seeking his sixth term as county commissioner. 

In a statement Friday afternoon, the Kanawha County Commission said it received Carper’s resignation and it appreciates his service of 28 years. The commission will discuss an appointment to his seat at an upcoming meeting.

In May 2023, WOWK-TV News reported that Carper was under investigation for “alleged lewd activity” at Daniel Boone Park in Charleston. In a statement later, Carper’s daughter Virginia Carper, said the allegation involved Carper in a parked vehicle at the park. 

She said Carper was diagnosed to have had a heart attack the same day and attributed the alleged incident to confusion caused by Carper’s illness. Carper also reportedly underwent quadruple bypass surgery and suffered a stroke. 

According to records turned over in a Freedom of Information Act request, in the hours after the alleged incident on May 15, Carper sent an email offering a job to a county employee who was the girlfriend of the Charleston Police Department officer who responded to the incident at the park that day, according to multiple sources.

Nearly simultaneous to Carper’s announcement Friday, a special prosecutor appointed to the case and the U.S. Department of Justice announced separately that they would end their investigations without taking action. 

In his statement, United States Attorney Will Thompson confirmed that his office and its partners concluded an investigation involving Carper.

“The investigation uncovered significant allegations of concern,” Thompson said in the release. “It also found that Carper had significant health issues that could have had an impact on his actions relevant to the investigation. As a result, a decision has been made to end the investigation without taking further action.”

The statement noted that in general, the Department of Justice does not publicly announce investigations or investigative findings, but policy allows exceptions in certain circumstances, including when the issue “has already received significant publicity.”

Logan County prosecutor Dave Wandling, who in June 2023 was appointed special prosecutor in the matter, said in a statement that the incident was investigated first by the Charleston Police Department and then by West Virginia State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and has reached a conclusion. 

“The special investigation conducted by the West Virginia State Police revealed information of concern about the allegations made by the complainant,” Wandling’s statement said. “However, mitigating information was also uncovered that Mr. Carper had significant health issues that could have had an impact on his actions. As a result, a decision has been made to end the investigation without taking further action.”

Carper formerly served as president of the commission. He was replaced in January by Commissioner Lance Wheeler. 

A call to Carper went unanswered on Friday. Jesse Forbes, a Charleston attorney representing Carper, said Carper’s health had deteriorated to a point that serving on the commission had become untenable and he decided not to continue in office. He reiterated that the alleged incident had been investigated thoroughly without charges being filed.  

Forbes asked that people remember the “tremendous” service Carper has had to the county over a 40-year career that included being an attorney, Charleston police chief and assistant prosecuting attorney.

Carper is being challenged in this year’s primary election by former Secretary of State Natalie Tennant. 

Reached Friday evening, Wheeler said Carper’s resignation came as a surprise to the commissioners and the commission staff, who had “no indication that this was going to happen.” The commission understands Carper has health issues and has grandchildren he wants to be involved with, he said.

Wheeler said in Carper’s 28 years as commissioner, he has done a lot of good for the county that should be remembered.

“Moving forward, I think we need to think about the county in general and making sure that we’re continuing to do what we’ve always done,” Wheeler said. “And that’s being transparent to the public, being a good steward of watching the taxpayer money, and making sure that we’re continuing the economic development projects that Commissioner Carper was involved in, which includes the Capital City Sports Complex, the water and sewer projects, and everything that he’s done, as well. Those are the things that we’ll remember with his legacy.”

By state code, the commission has 30 days to fill Carper’s vacancy. Wheeler said the county will put a notice in the newspaper that if people are eligible and live in a vacant magisterial district, they can apply to fill the rest of Carper’s term, which expires Jan. 1, 2025. Carper is a Democrat, which means his unexpired term must be filled by a Democrat.

Applicants will make their case for getting the job during an upcoming meeting of the commission, he said. Commissioners Wheeler and Ben Salango will vote on the appointment during a public setting, he said.

“I think that’s what really needs to be discussed now, is how will this position be filled? It will be filled with transparency, just like we’ve always had in the past,” Wheeler said.

Salango said Friday he appreciates Carper’s nearly 30 years of service to Kanawha County and wishes him well in retirement. 

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