West Virginia official accused of approving $34M in COVID-19 payments without verifying them

Source: Associated Press

West Virginia official accused of approving $34M in COVID-19 payments without verifying them

BY JOHN RABY
Updated 5:52 PM EDT, October 19, 2023

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted a West Virginia state health office manager on charges that he approved more than $34 million in coronavirus pandemic relief payments to a private firm without verifying that the vendor provided goods and services it was under contract to deliver.

The indictment filed Tuesday in federal court in Charleston charges Timothy Priddy with making false statements to federal agents in August 2022 and in grand jury testimony the following month about the payments.

Gov. Jim Justice told reporters Thursday that Priddy has been suspended from his job, “and we’ll have to let the courts make a decision on his fate, that’s for sure.”

Priddy held various manager positions with the state Bureau for Public Health’s Center for Threat Preparedness. He was promoted to deputy director in March 2021 and to director in January 2022, according to the indictment.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/covid-west-virginia-indictment-98bc93ce2268e1f325f382c0f3c344d3