BECKLEY, W.Va. — The Raleigh County Commission issued a statement Tuesday a day after a Family Court Judge found in favor of a woman who had filed for a domestic violence petition against Raleigh County Prosecutor Ben Hatfield.
“The County Commission requested an investigation by the Commission on Special Investigations and are of an investigation by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel,” the statement said. “We are cooperating with each of these investigations.”
The commission called for the legislature’s Commission on Investigations in August to investigate Hatfield’s alleged behavior after receiving a letter signed by three of the county’s circuit judges.
Hatfield’s attorney Brandon Steele questioned the judge’s involvement.
“If people are coming to you with complaints you need to direct them to the appropriate person at the county commission or the state police or whatever, depending on what it is,” Steele told MetroNews at the time. “It clearly indicates that the judges are having political conversations and that’s something they should be avoiding.”
The Raleigh County Commission said Tuesday that based on the judges letter and some employees “we have initiated our own investigation into these complaints”
Hatfield has denied all allegations. He returned to work last week after voluntarily taking some time off after the commission’s initial move.
Hatfield will be required under the domestic violence petition to stay away from the woman who filed the petition.
Hatfield is running unopposed in the November General Election.