CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia delegate-elect was ousted Wednesday while confined to his house on charges related to terroristic threats against his colleagues.
Joseph de Soto, who recently became a Democrat, was elected in November to represent the southern part of Berkeley County in West Virginia's 91st district as a Republican. He was arrested in December after saying God had called on him to kill several members of the Legislature, including House Speaker Roger Hanshaw and House Majority Leader Pat McGeehan, who are both Republicans.
De Soto, 61, was released on bond on Dec. 23 by the Berkeley County Magistrate Court, and was ordered to home confinement while awaiting grand jury deliberations. The terms of his confinement stipulate that he can't contact those he allegedly threatened or have access to any deadly weapons.
The Republican majority House of Delegates vote to declare de Soto’s seat vacant, which means the governor must appoint someone from his district to fill it. Gov.-elect Patrick Morrisey, also a Republican, is scheduled to be inaugurated on Monday to replace outgoing Gov. Jim Justice, who is headed to the U.S. Senate.
The decision followed a tense back-and-forth on the House floor about due process between Democratic Del. Shawn Fluharty and McGeehan, who was explaining the resolution to vacate de Soto's seat.
Fluharty said the state constitution holds that a lawmaker-elect must refuse to take the oath for the seat to be declared vacant, and asked McGeehan if there was any evidence de Soto had refused.
“Look, this guy needs to go — I absolutely agree with that," Fluharty said. “But I want us to do it properly.”
“I think the refusal is that he is incarcerated right now on home confinement,” McGeehan responded.
Later, when Fluharty asked again whether de Soto had had the opportunity to take the oath, McGeehan told him: “You can ask the prison.”
Fluharty noted that several other delegates-elect were unable to be at the Capitol on Wednesday, but there weren't any resolutions calling to vacate their seats. He said he feared a procedural error could lead to legal action.
The proper way to remove de Soto would have been to send a proposal for his expulsion through the House Judiciary Committee, which won't meet until February, Fluharty said.
McGeehan said the other members who weren't present did so because of unplanned circumstances or conflicts that arose. In de Soto’s case, he couldn’t have been at the Capitol Wednesday because he on house arrest.
The disagreement came after Democratic Del. Mike Pushkin made a failed amendment to require that, if declared vacant, de Soto's seat be filled by a Democrat. Although elected as a Republican, de Soto changed his party to Democrat the day before his arrest.
West Virginia's Constitution states that vacancies must be filled by the governor from a list of three people submitted by the party executive committee “of the same political party with which the person holding the office immediately preceding the vacancy was affiliated at the time the vacancy occurred.” Pushkin said in his view, that means a Democrat should be appointed to replace de Soto.
Despite the rejection of Pushkin's amendment, the Berkeley County Democratic Committee sent out a press release shortly afterward asking Democrats in the county who are interested in the position to reach out.
De Soto was elected to his first term in the West Virginia House as a Republican representing part of Berkeley County in the state’s eastern panhandle in November, receiving 72% of the vote in the general election after defeating two other Republicans in the May primary.
If convicted, de Soto could face a maximum fine of $25,000 and three years in prison.
FILE - West Virginia's Capitol dome is shown on Oct. 14, 2005, in Charleston, W.Va. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner, File)
GENEVA (AP) — José Mourinho’s quest to be a champion again.
Europe’s top goal-scorer on a title hunt before a big move.
A young coach reviving a European giant.
Look outside the top five leagues in Europe and the season run-in promises the kind of title race drama the English Premier League lacks as Liverpool dominates.
Galatasaray is still just ahead of Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in Turkey.
Sporting Lisbon is being fired by Viktor Gyökeres goals to hold off Benfica in Portugal.
Ajax is back on top in the Netherlands in 35-year-old coach Francesco Farioli’s first season.
Young Boys is close to going last-to-first to retain the Swiss title, and unbeaten Red Star Belgrade is making a procession of the Serbian league.
Here’s a look at how the business end of the soccer season is playing out across Europe:
Mourinho was hired by Fenerbahce last June to end the Istanbul club’s wait for a first league title since 2014, and a first Champions League place for 17 seasons.
It’s now a decade since he last lifted a league trophy — the 2015 Premier League with Chelsea, his third in England after two in Portugal with Porto, two in Italy with Inter Milan and one in Spain with Real Madrid.
Turkey would be the fifth country Mourinho conquers and he has been typically outspoken, making provocative news in his new home as city rival Galatasaray has led the league almost all season. Mourinho reacted badly on Wednesday to being ousted from the Turkish Cup in another Istanbul derby, grabbing the nose of Gala coach Okan Buruk after the game.
In the league, Fenerbahce sits six points behind defending champion Gala, which has played a game more. The gap closed last weekend when Gala’s unbeaten record ended after a 2-1 derby loss at Besiktas. Fenerbahce has lost just twice, also at Besiktas and at home to Gala in September.
Simply extending a four-month unbeaten run through the last nine rounds might not be enough for Mourinho, who has strikers Youssef En-Nesyri and Edin Džeko combining for more than a goal per game.
The season ends on June 1, one day after the Champions League final in Munich. Only the title winner goes direct into the next Champions League where Fenerbahce last played in 2009.
In a season of three coaches — one left, one fired, one hired in December — Viktor Gyökeres has been the bedrock of Sporting’s title defense.
The Sweden striker’s tally of 30 league goals is the most in Europe, three more than Mohamed Salah at Liverpool. Gyökeres also got six in the Champions League, including three against Manchester City.
That 4-1 rout of Man City in November was a farewell home game for coach Ruben Amorim, who formally joined Manchester United days later.
Through the turmoil, Sporting has stayed on top and unbeaten since a 1-0 win over Benfica on Dec. 29, which was a first game under current coach Rui Borges. That result is keeping Sporting ahead on head-to-head record as it is tied on points after Benfica beat Farense 3-2 on Wednesday.
With seven rounds left, Benfica hosting Sporting on May 10 could be decisive. An extra incentive is only the title winner goes directly into the next Champions League because the Netherlands passed Portugal as the nation ranked sixth by UEFA.
Ajax’s 2023-24 season was chaotic. Turnover in the dugout and front office, failure to contend for any trophy, beatings from its biggest rivals, and a fifth-place finish in the league 35 points behind champion PSV Eindhoven.
Enter Italian coach Farioli, a protégé of Roberto De Zerbi, who joined after one season at Nice. As the Ajax fans sing: “Don’t worry, about a thing.”
A 2-0 win at second-placed PSV last weekend lifted Farioli’s team nine points clear with seven rounds left.
At age 19, Jorrel Hato looks the next big talent from the storied Ajax academy in a defense that has given up just 20 league goals after conceding 61 last season.
While Paris Saint-Germain is heading for an unbeaten Ligue 1 title, Red Star Belgrade could be the most dominant team.
The 1991 European Cup winner has won 27 games and drawn two, scoring more than 100 with a goal difference of +82. Red Star completes the 30-game regular season on Sunday at third-placed OFK Belgrade, before an eight-team championship round.
Swiss champion Young Boys was last in the 12-team league in mid-October, and now is in the heart of a six-team title race after winning on Tuesday at leader Servette. It is not a vintage season and no team is close to averaging two points per game.
In Belgium, Genk topped the regular season standings by nine points and leads the championship playoff group by four from Club Brugge. They meet twice more, starting on April 13.
There are three-way title races in Poland and Croatia.
In Poland’s Ekstraklasa, the first-time champions in the past two seasons, Rakow Czestochowa and Jagiellonia, lead the way from Lech Poznan.
In Croatia, Hajduk Split, coached by Gennaro Gattuso and with Ivan Rakitić anchoring midfield, leads Rijeka by one point. Dinamo Zagreb is third despite the financial advantage of playing in the Champions League.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League opening phase soccer match between Sporting and Manchester City in Lisbon, Portugal, Tuesday, November 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, file)
