(WVLT-TV)

The May Morgan County Grand Jury Report released Tuesday included an investigation into the Sunbright Police Department and a County executive email investigation.

The Morgan County Grand Jury expressed concern about the status of the Sunbright Police Department and its operations after receiving allegations and complaints about the department.

The Grand Jury requested that the mayor of Sunbright provide the following:
1. The number of officers, their assignments, duties and hours;
2. The procedure for seizing property and whether the law is followed;
3. The police for mutual cooperation with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department and other law enforcement agencies, as well as the protocol for follow-up by SPD on cases responded to by MCSO on SPD’s behalf;
4. The overall state of operations of the SPD

The report answering these requests was asked to be submitted on or before August 15, 2017.

The Grand Jury Report also included information that appears that Morgan County Executive Don Edwards, while sitting as the Chairman of the Morgan County Commission, directed various County Commissioners on how to make motions, seconds and to vote in order to get his selected individuals onto boards and committees, in violation of the Open Meetings Act/Sunshine Law.

The report included copies of Edwards’ emails, which included board member recommendations, suggested meeting dialogue and suggested arguments.

One such email, sent on March 25, 2015, stated, “WE MUST GET STRONG CONSERVATIVES ON THIS BOARD!! PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT JUST ‘GO ALONG TO GET ALONG!’ People who will stand alone if they must!”

Another email, dated January 14, 2015, addressed one commissioner in particular saying, “I haven’t said it lately but please remember do not share my emails. You and I are speaking very plainly and No One but you and I need to see our communication. We do not need anyone outside ourselves having a “slip of the tongue” of our communication that they should not even be privy to. I will share amongst our group but I will tell you when I’m going to do that.”

The report detailed that Edwards and other county commissioners received training from CTAS on the issue after the fact.