Transparency News, 10/20/2022

Thursday
October 20, 2022

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state & local news stories

A former Officer of Election — one who is suing the Nottoway Electoral Board and Board of Supervisors over her firing last year — recently received the wrong District Two ballot in early voting and therefore was unable to cast votes in Crewe’s municipal races. General Registrar Rodney Reynolds declines to identify the voter — saying only that she resides in Crewe — but informed sources say it is former Assistant Registrar Sharon Caldwell of Crewe. The Courier-Record over the weekend reached-out to Mrs. Caldwell, who replied, “Upon advise [sic] of counsel, I’m making no public comment on this matter.” Although he didn’t reveal the voter’s identity, it was Registrar Reynolds who informed the Courier-Record about the incident last week and said he takes full responsibility for the error. 
Courier-Record

In an attempt to lower the political tension in Pittsylvania County, Board of Supervisors Chairman Vic Ingram has stepped down from the Department of Social Services Board effective immediately. In his resignation email, Ingram said he rescinded his visit to Richmond to talk with state Social Services officials about having fellow DSS Board member Jim Scearce removed. In an earlier text message to the Star-Tribune, Ingram indicated he had delayed his trip.  "I stepped down from the DSS Board to bring some peace rather than continued strife and chaos. As long as I was on the (DSS) Board, it would always be some issue and no one needs that, especially the staff and clients," wrote Ingram in a text message to the Star-Tribune. Tension on the DSS Board came to a head at the Sept. 19 meeting, when Ingram brought in a presentation about all the times Scearce has come before the Board of Supervisors to criticize the Board and him directly.
Star-Tribune

A national media outlet has shed some light on a mysterious FBI raid in Arlington earlier this year. Rolling Stone reports that the raid on a Columbia Pike apartment building, which ARLnow first reported in April, targeted a well-known ABC News producer, James Gordon Meek. Meek, an Emmy award winner who often broke investigative stories on the topic of national security for the TV network, has reportedly not been seen or heard from publically since the raid. His formerly active Twitter feed’s last tweet was 5 a.m. the morning of the raid, which targeted his apartment on the top floor of the Siena Park apartments at 2301 Columbia Pike, according to Rolling Stone. So far, according to Rolling Stone, Meek has not been charged, documents related to the case remain sealed, and it’s unclear why exactly he’s under investion.
ARLnow

stories of national interest

The hottest overseas job market for retired U.S. service members is a tiny Persian Gulf nation that outsources much of its military to foreign advisers and mercenaries. Over the past seven years, 280 military retirees have sought federal authorization to work for the United Arab Emirates — far more than for any other country, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The Washington Post
HOW WE DID IT: "[Thread] on how @CraigMWhitlock, our team at The Post, and I won our two-year #FOIA battle for the release of documents showing that more than 500 retired military personnel were hired by foreign countries including Saudi Arabia, Libya,+ the UAE."
Nate Jones on Twitter