CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Former Justice administration chief of staff Nick Casey, fired a week ago today, called the governor a political hack on statewide radio.
“The governor became a political hack as far as I’m concerned and went after me because I’m a Democrat,” Casey said on MetroNews’ “Talkline.”
Casey noted during the interview with host Hoppy Kercheval that he was fired at 11:35 a.m. last Monday, the same time as his radio appearance today.
Casey was in New York City, celebrating his 42nd wedding anniversary with his wife, when he received a call from Gov. Jim Justice.
Casey said the governor had assured him that after Justice’s party switch from Democrat to Republican that party affiliation doesn’t matter and that he’d like him to stay. Casey is a former Democratic Party chairman who also ran for Congress as a Democrat.
Justice also publicly stated on multiple occasions after his party switch that he had hired his staff because of their skill set, rather than because of party affiliation.
“He didn’t live up to what he told me he wanted to do,” Casey said today.
Justice had just met the prior Friday with state Senate President Mitch Carmichael and media executive Bray Cary. Casey said he had warned the governor that even if Justice didn’t care about party affiliation, Republicans who do care would try to influence him.
“I’m very concerned that now that the Rs have gotten in his ear, he’ll go in and start taking out other people. He needs those folks,” Casey said.
He noted the governor’s office is working on several big issues such as administering flood relief to disaster victims in northern counties, preparing for a road bond vote and trying to get state financial audits back on track after three years of missed deadlines.
“There are many, many things going on at the Capitol being launched in the governor’s direction. He just set himself back,” Casey said.
Asked the Friday after his party switch if his administration could handle a series of rapid departures, Justice expressed confidence about continuity.
“The train always seems to go on. Do we really believe that by losing a few key members, or really the engineer, me — the train always goes on. And what we’ve got to do is, sometimes it becomes difficult,” Justice said.
“I’m telling you, this train is going to move on and it’s going to go north.”
When asked this past weekend about his reasons for firing Casey, the governor for the first time acknowledged that party affiliation played a role.
“The entire reason there is just one thing and one thing alone,” Justice said Saturday night. “Nick’s home life, his home; his wife is a rock solid Democrat. I respect that, completely. It makes life a little tougher. I asked Nick a month before this announcement, and I said ‘Nick if it’s going to make anything uncomfortable in anyway, you’re going to have to go.’
“For a month, Nick was ‘No governor I’m with you all in, all in.’ When it got to D-Day you could tell there was concern. And when I saw there was concern, I saw it was over. Nick said that about his wife. And he said ‘You know I was the chairman of the Democratic Party for a while.’ It had to be over.”
Casey said his wife’s political leanings shouldn’t have been a factor in the governor’s mind.
“My wife’s going to be a problem for him, maybe, but not for me,” Casey said.
The Democratic Party put out a statement blasting the governor for bringing Casey’s wife into the fray.
“First of all, the blame placing here is outlandish,” stated Belinda Biafore, chairwoman of the state Democratic Party. “No one should ever be fired because of who they are married to. Secondly, Jim Justice placed very few women in his administration so I’m surprised he is giving a woman that much power and credit for a move like that.”
Casey said he thought the first six months of the Justice administration were efficient and effective.
He said he’s lost respect for the governor over recent events, though.
“He changed his course. I don’t respect that,” Casey said.
He added, “I wish him the best but I don’t respect him for flipping his position like that.”
.@WVGovernor’s former Chief of Staff, Nick Casey, joins @HoppyKercheval to talk about his firing. WATCH: https://t.co/wkudfIAoe1 pic.twitter.com/ssdjFjpUdu
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) August 21, 2017