Lewis County commissioners unanimously voted last week to remove Roger Morningstar from the county’s Veterans Advisory Board.
The move, made at the board's Aug. 30 meeting, comes after Morningstar resigned as chief of the Morton Police Department amid allegations of sexual harassment, misusing public funds and lying on his job application.
Commissioner Scott Brummer said the move has been in the works for several weeks after he learned in late July that Morningstar had failed to attend several meetings. Brummer said he attempted to contact Morningstar at that time, though he was unsuccessful.
“We’re allowing the advisory board to make the first steps,” Brummer said.
Brummer said the attempted call was “more of a courtesy” and that he didn’t think Morningstar would have remained on the board had he responded.
“Mr. Morningstar is a veteran, and we wanted to make sure he had a chance to get his say,” he said.
Brummer said to his knowledge, it was the only county board Morningstar was a member of.
According to previous reporting from the Chronicle, Morningstar was placed on administrative leave from the Morton Police Department on May 15 and resigned from the position on June 2. An investigation by the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC), which was referred to the state Attorney General’s office, included several allegations dating to his time with the Quinault Police Department.
Brummer said the advisory board had discussed the allegations in July, though those discussions hadn’t reached the county commissioner level.
While board members are selected and approved by county commissioners, Brummer said the members have “longitude” to run semi-independently. Brummer said the commissioners wanted the board to go through “their process.”
“We hold everyone to a high standard on these boards,” Brummer said.
On Wednesday, the commissioners voted to appoint Edward Smith and William Cavinder as regular voting members. The board includes seven voting members and two alternates.
After members of the advisory board alerted Brummer of Morningstar’s absence in July, Brummer said the action to remove Morningstar “didn’t make it to the top of the list.”
“Unfortunately, there was a few weeks of delay,” Brummer said, adding the delay was partly attributed to scheduling and staffing. “It just took a few weeks to get it on the schedule.”
Brummer said the delay was not intentional.
“We’re not trying to treat anyone unfairly,” he said.
On Aug. 28, the county commissioners voted to remove Carol Brock from the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging. Brock announced a policy limiting prayer and discussion of politics in a column included in the August edition of Senior Dynamics, which led to roughly 40 people protesting at the Twin Cities Senior Center in Chehalis.
Morningstar is also no longer serving as state committeeman for the Lewis County Republicans, Chair Brandon Svenon previously told The Chronicle.
