Beckley Mayor Denying Ethics Charges

{Beckley, West Virginia}...Beckley Mayor Emmett Pugh is denying ethics charges that he misused his public office for private financial gain after the West Virginia Ethics Commission's Probable Cause Review Board released civil charges stemming from ethics complaints filed against Pugh in 2009 and 2011. Pugh is accused of receiving more than $12,000 worth of ownership interests in companies in exchange for providing city contracts and free use of city resources and inappropriately using a vehicle leased by the Beckley Sanitary Board, of which he is chairman. Pugh says he doesn't believe he did anything wrong, and he looks forward to giving his side of the story. An independent hearing examiner will be appointed to consider the charges.