The political rancor engulfing a small Virginia community entered a new dimension when a jury rejected a recall campaign to remove a top elected leader even as it found the official guilty of violating local policies.
When Purcellville’s Town Council convened Tuesday night, the man at the center of the uproar, Vice Mayor Carl “Ben” Nett, took his usual place on the dais without addressing the Loudoun County jury’s verdict.
But residents in the audience, during the public comment period, did not hold back.
“Even though you might not have gotten repercussions yet, Mr. Ben, we know you’re guilty, and that means something,” resident Beth Goldsmith said when it was her turn to address the council. “This is going to stick to you, stick to your reputation and your record.”
Nett, who also faces criminal charges of bid-rigging, could still be temporarily removed from his council seat. Virginia’s General Assembly, as a result of Nett’s pending case, recently passed legislation requiring that public officials in Northern Virginia, if charged with crimes, be suspended until allegations against them are resolved. A Loudoun County judge has scheduled a May 7 hearing to consider Nett’s possible suspension.
Nett has contended that the charges against him are part of a coordinated campaign to destroy his political career. In a statement after the recall trial’s verdict, he reprised his call for a federal investigation of Purcellville police, Loudoun County prosecutors and “associated individuals throughout state government” who, he says, violated his civil rights.
An otherwise sleepy exurb 50 miles west of Washington, Purcellville for over a year has been torn by a political feud resulting in multimillion-dollar lawsuits, criminal charges and a citizen-led revolt to recall four of the council’s seven members, including the mayor.
A preponderance of the public’s fury has been aimed at Nett, who was elected to the council two years ago as part of an antidevelopment ticket that called itself “Team Mayberry,” a reference intended to evoke “The Andy Griffith Show,” the 1960s television program about a small-town sheriff.
Before moving to Purcellville, Nett drew national attention in Kentucky when he ran in 2019 for secretary of state and unsuccessfully sought to appear on the ballot with “Trump!” as part of his name. He lost the race.
Nett worked as a Purcellville police officer until a year ago when the town’s then-interim chief fired him over several alleged infractions, including conducting council business while on duty and misusing sick time.
Nett, who has denied the charges, was on the council at the time and led a push to disband Purcellville’s police department, an effort that was eventually dropped after a public outcry.
A grand jury in July indicted Nett and then-Town Manager Kwasi Fraser on charges they sought to steer a $12,000 contract to a consultant assessing the police department. Both men have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
The recall trial resulted from more than 1,100 Purcellville residents signing petitions to remove Nett and three other members of “Team Mayberry” — Mayor Christopher Bertaut, and council members Carol Luke and Susan Khalil. The cases against Bertaut, Luke and Khalil have not yet gone to trial.
Eric Olsen, the special prosecutor assigned to Nett’s recall case, accused the vice mayor of financial impropriety, failing to follow town policies, and of violating state conflict-of-interest policies stemming from his dual roles as a police officer and council member.
A seven-member Loudoun County jury on Monday found Nett guilty of conflict of interest but not of malfeasance. The jury ruled that Nett could retain his council seat.
Brian Morgan, the Purcellville resident who organized the recall campaign, described himself as “extremely disappointed in the jury’s decision.”
“It is difficult to understand how an elected official can be fund guilty of any of the charges brought by the prosecutor yet still be allowed to remain in office,” he said.
No member of the public spoke in defense of Nett at the council’s meeting Tuesday.
Instead, a number of residents spoke of an unending political drama casting a pall over their town, and warned Nett and his allies that voters can register their discontent in November. Nett’s term doesn’t expire until 2028, though the mayor and Luke are to complete theirs at the end of this year. Neither has filed paperwork to seek reelection.
“It looks like you’re trying to destroy the town of Purcellville,” Joan Lehr, a resident and former council member, told the lawmakers. “You’re not going to make it. The people of this town do not want this town destroyed.”
Some audience members were irked to find new regulations printed at the top of the council’s meeting agenda ordering “no talking, eating, laughing, or clapping.”
Residents have been known to bring popcorn to snack on during the meetings.
At one point at Tuesday’s session, during a recess, someone from the audience placed on the speaker’s rostrum a sign that read, “You can take our popcorn … This is still a circus.”
A clerk soon removed the sign, and the meeting resumed.
The post Despite guilty verdict, jury lets Virginia town leader stay in office for now appeared first on Washington Post.
