Richmond: Virginia’s special prosecutor found no error in the $ 1.8 million contract for the removal of the Richmond Confederation statue last summer.
Timothy Martin, the Chosen Prosecutor in Augusta which was appointed to deal with this problem, said in the release of news Wednesday that he had reviewed the findings of the state police investigation and did not find criminal activities.
Investigation into the contract, which was given to the owner of a construction company that had made a simple political contribution to Richmond Democratic Mayor Levar Stoney, began after complaints from Stoney’s political rival in the midst of the election season in the middle.
Jeffrey Breit, a lawyer for Stoney, said Thursday, the mayor was happy with the findings.
“Exactly as I said in July last year,” said Breit, called an effort investigation to “throw a political bullet in the middle of the campaign.” The investigation found that Bononia did not suggest contractors, Devon Henry from Newport Newport News Henry Enterprises, Martin wrote.
The investigation also confirmed the statement of the previous mayor that the city reached a number of contractors to do work, all of which refused, according to Martin.
Some people who personally object to the removal of sculptures or fear that removing the monument pose a security risk, he said.
Martin noted that high contract value also attracted attention.
He said that while the lack of competition is likely to ride prices, taking advantage in transactions with government entities not criminal.
Stoney Administration initially refused to answer questions from reporters about who was behind the skin company, Well LLC, that the record showed the city had been contracted with the removal of a statue.
The news outlet was then revealed through a public record request that Well was associated with Henry.
Martin wrote that while the concealment of contractor identity caused suspicion “about whether this was done to hide inappropriate transactions” the facts do not support such conclusions.
“Because the tension went so high at the time, and many people expressed a passionate opinion about the proposed appointment, the contractor chose to keep his identity hidden, which was not a crime,” Martin wrote.
In a statement, Henry said he was happy that the investigation had concluded and “this politically produced dark cloud can be eliminated.” Henry – whose company recently handled the elimination of several monuments in Charlottesville, including Robert E.
Lee’s rigid statue in the center of violence uniting the right rally in 2017 – said he was proud of his team’s work in Richmond on “a complex and potentially dangerous work.
“Henry, who was black and said he formed a Shell company for security reasons and privacy, told the Associated Press last year that he faced the threat of death after his identity was published.
Martin said in the release of news that for the sake of public trust, he wanted to emphasize that unlike the mayor, he was a republic of conservative jurisdiction.
“I don’t have a bias that supports it based on some joint ideologies or members in the same political party.
I have no personal relationship with him, because both of us have never met,” Martin wrote.
The court pointed to Martin to handle the review of the state police investigation at the request of the Commonwealth lawyer for Richmond, Colette McEachin.
He initially refused to take this problem, citing Henry’s donation has made her husband’s political campaign, US Representative Rep.
Donald Mceachin, when he ran for the state senate.
The Henry team moved most of the Richmond Confederation statues last summer, after protests erupted in Richmond and around the world over the murder of George Floyd in police custody.
The city is now grapling with what must be done with the remaining pedestal, some of which are very large.
Richmond, who is the Capital of the Confederation for most civil war, decorated with confederation tributes.
One of the biggest confederation monuments in the city, a Lee statue along the historic monument Avenue, still exists.
The monument belongs to the state, and the Democratic Governor’s plan Ralph Northam to remove it has been tied in court.
The administration of the governor was awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court of Virginia about whether the pieces could go down.
The court heard the argument in June and can reign at any time.