West Virginia secretary of state defends firing 16 employees
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner has defended his decision to fire 16 longtime employees upon taking office and promptly hire 22 new staffers.
Warner told the Senate Finance Committee on Monday that cutting about one-third of his office’s staff last month was necessary to “move the office forward,” the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported (http://bit.ly/2kYSUKR).
The firings have resulted in wrongful-termination lawsuits being filed against Warner.
The reductions were needed to deal with anticipated budget cuts, Warner’s communications director Mike Queen said last month. Warner has since replaced the 16 employees with 22 new hires, including new positions of regional field service representatives for seven regions around the state.
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