CHARLESTON (WV)
WV News
May 24, 2019
By Jake Jarvis
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said his office has made three criminal referrals to local prosecutors stemming from an investigation into the Roman Catholic Diocese of West Virginia.
Morrisey, who identified himself as a practicing member of the Catholic church, addressed the lawsuit during a press conference at his office Thursday afternoon. He said he is deeply disappointed that the church diocese continues to conceal documents and is not cooperating with full disclosure.
“Obviously they cooperated a little bit up front,” Morrisey said. “After we filed the original submission, they spent a lot of time talking about how old the allegations were. We thought about that a little bit. Some of them obviously go back in time, but it’s critical to note that the reason why they’re coming to light now is because of our office.”
Morrisey’s office first filed a lawsuit against the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese and Bishop Michael Bransfield earlier this year, alleging they violated the state’s consumer protection laws by not alerting parents the accused priests were staffing its schools and camps.
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