Carl Junction impeachment case could be delayed
City Administrator Steve Lawver also said Wednesday morning that the hearing was still scheduled for Monday but from what he's heard from the attorneys, it will likely have to be delayed.
'This is something that will need wide dissemination, so we'll likely post it on the city's Facebook page and website when we hear something concrete,' Lawver said. 'We'll probably put the notice out front on the website.'
The mayor's attorney, Bill Fleischaker, said he hasn't had a chance to investigate and prepare for the case so he's seeking to postpone the hearing.
Moss, who was elected to a two-year term in April 2025, faces questions about his conduct in City Hall.
The first complaint was sent by email from Alderman James Shanks on May 8 alleging to Lawver that, 'after being elected mayor, Mr. Moss visited with me in my home and while discussing the employee handbook and the employee evaluation documents he made the comment directly to me referencing 'Steve's Harem.' Although he didn't go name by name, I can come to no other conclusion than he was speaking about the female employees who work for the city in different roles and at your direction.'
According to the minutes of the May 20 Carl Junction Board of Aldermen meeting, City Attorney Mike Talley said 'several allegations and references were made and the code of ethics was mentioned.' Talley told board members they needed to hire outside counsel if they wanted to prosecute this as a complaint and that he had contacted Nate Dally with the Lauber Law Firm, who was willing to take the case.
Minutes from the May 20 meeting say Talley told the board that an additional four complaints had been filed at that time.
The board voted to suspend Moss at its June 3 regular meeting, but Lawver said the board found out later that it had moved in the incorrect order to suspend Moss, and the June 17 minutes showed Moss back in the mayor's chair, where he remains.
The articles contain four specific charges against Moss:
• 'Moss, in conjunction with his official duties of supervision of his subordinate, has engaged in conduct constituting malfeasance in office (malfeasance is the commission of some act wholly beyond the actor's authority); Specifically, the mayor referring to female city employees as a harem was a violation' of city code.
• The city alleges Moss failed to enforce compliance of the city code that says all employees 'have the right to a workplace free of sexual harassment' and that such misfeasance — improper performance of duties — 'shows a conscious disregard for the proper order and discipline of the City of Carl Junction, its Code, and the laws of the State of Missouri as they relate to the conduct of government.'
• The city alleges Moss also violated city personnel policy against age discrimination. The complaint alleges: 'In or around April and May 2025, Mayor Moss made age discriminating and age bias comments about the city administrator (Lawver) including inquires into his retirement plans, Social Security eligibility and insulting the city administrator due to his age should retire, despite being informed of their illegality.'
• The city alleges misfeasance, nonfeasance and/or malfeasance on the part of Moss and that his actions 'further establish that Mayor Moss is not suited to hold public office, is an inadequate steward of the position of mayor of the city of Carl Junction and undeserving of the trust placed in him by the citizens of the city of Carl Junction, Missouri.'
Moss declined to discuss the charges or the impeachment when contacted by phone by the Globe.
Fleischaker said he didn't plan to argue the case in the media but added that Moss denies all allegations.
'He had a private conversation with a council member,' Fleischaker said. 'Whether that counts as an impeachable offense is questionable.'
Dally, the former Carthage city attorney who resigned in 2024 during the Carthage City Council's attempts to impeach then-Mayor Dan Rife, did not return messages left by text, voice mail and email for comment on the case.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nexus card applications no longer accepting 'X' gender marker
Canadians who apply for a new or renewed Nexus card can no longer select an "X" gender marker on their applications, and instead must choose either "M" or "F." The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed the change in a statement on Tuesday, saying it followed U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order in January that the U.S. will only recognize male or female on documents such as visas and passports. The corresponding changes by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also changed the application process for Nexus cards, the CBSA said in an email to CBC News. The change went into effect in February, it said. The Nexus program, run jointly by the CBSA and CBP, allows card holders to fast-track through customs and security lines at airports and land crossings. While many use the cards for cross-border travel, some use them primarily for shorter wait times while travelling within Canada. The CBSA says there were more than 1.8 million program members in April 2024, "with the majority of members being Canadian." WATCH | Transgender people in the U.S. say they're worried: The agency says Canadians who currently have a valid Nexus card with an "X" will still have the document recognized, but they will no longer be able to choose "X" when it comes time to renew or replace their cards. Trump's executive order declared federal agencies will only recognize "two sexes, male and female," which "are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality." The presidential order said passports and other forms of government-issued identification must reflect the sex assigned at birth. The website for the U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs, the agency that issues passports, said it will "only issue passports with an 'M' or 'F' sex marker that match the customer's biological sex at birth" and will no longer use the "X" marker for nonbinary people, citing Trump's order. Canada began recognizing the "X" marker on passports for those who don't identify as male or female in 2019. About 3,600 Canadians had the marker on their passports as of 2021, according to the federal government. The CBSA says Canadians with an "X" marker on their passport can continue to use it to apply for a Nexus card, even though that marker cannot be used on the card itself. Statistics Canada data shows there are more than 100,000 transgender or non-binary people across the country. The Canadian government website warns people with gender-neutral passports they "may face entry restrictions into some countries that do not recognize your gender." LISTEN | Advocacy group on what Canadians should know for travel:
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Early results for Spartanburg County Council District 3: 'I think it's important to vote'
Voters in Spartanburg County Council District 3 turned out on Aug. 5 to select a Republican candidate in the special election to replace longtime council member David Britt. According to early results, Jason Lynch leads the way with 1,375 votes. Paul Abbott was in second place with 875 votes. Other candidates include Bryan Alverson, Tim Burrell, Caylus Goodson, and Stephen Mathis. Britt served for more than 30 years before taking a role with the South Carolina Public Service Commission. Growth and development -- especially the construction of new subdivisions -- has been a theme in the campaign. Carl Hollifield is concerned about the surge in home building on the east side of the county. "They're running out of room everywhere else," he said. Hollifield favored former Cowpens Town Council member and retired magistrate Paul Abbott. In addition to Abbott, candidates included Bryan Alverson, Tim Burrell, Caylus Goodson, and Jason Lynch. Stephen Blanton said he voted for Lynch. The two have known each other since their days as students at Wofford College. "He's a good guy," said Blanton, who said he understands anxiety about growth, but said "the alternative is worse. You don't want to be stagnant." Blanton, who voted at McCracken Middle School, stressed the importance of voting. "I think it's important to vote. It's a privilege that we take for granted." This article originally appeared on Greenville News: GOP voters turn out for county council primary: Lynch, Abbott leading Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Friends star's alleged 'Ketamine Queen' given trial date
A woman charged with selling Friends actor Matthew Perry the dose of ketamine that killed him will go on trial next month. The trial of Jasveen Sangha, allegedly known as the Ketamine Queen, will begin on 23 September after an order from a Los Angeles judge on Tuesday. She is the only defendant standing trial over Perry's death after four others reached plea agreements with prosecutors. The 42-year-old, who has pleaded not guilty, is charged with five counts of ketamine distribution, including one count of distribution resulting in death. Sangha's trial has been postponed four times after her lawyers said they needed longer to go through the prosecution's evidence and to finish their own investigation Perry died in his home in October 2023, aged 54, after getting ketamine from his regular doctor for treatment of depression, which is an increasingly common use for the surgical anaesthetic. The actor was taking ketamine six to eight times a day before he died, according . Read more from Sky News:Reeves told to find 'substantial' tax rises Prosecutors say Perry illegally sought more ketamine from his doctor, Salvador Plasencia, after he wouldn't give him as much as he wanted. They allege he then sought more from Sangha, who allegedly presented herself as "a celebrity drug dealer with high-quality goods". Perry's assistant and friend admitted to buying large amounts of ketamine for him from Sangha, including 25 vials for $6,000 in cash, a few days before his death. Prosecutors allege that purchase included the doses that killed Perry. Plasencia along with Perry's personal assistant, his friend, and another doctor. None have been sentenced yet.
