Charlottesville Electoral Board chair Joan Schatzman became a casualty of the Sheri Iachetta registrar scandal January 10 when she was booted from reappointment to the board where she’s served for more than 11 years at a special meeting organized by her own party.
Schatzman, a Democrat, and her fellow board members, Republican Rick Sincere and Democrat Jim Nix, earned the ire of the leadership of both local parties when they did not fire Iachetta immediately after she was charged with six felonies September 17. Iachetta approved cell phone payments for her husband and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander for years after they stopped working for the registrar’s office. Commander was charged with four felonies.
“We have lost all confidence in your individual and collective judgment,” said the bipartisan writers of an October 29 letter to the Electoral Board.
“What is really sad is the person who revealed the mischief gets punished,” said Schatzman, who had notified City Manager Maurice Jones when she learned about the unauthorized phones in August. A deputy registrar had told Jones about the situation in March.
“Why hasn’t the Gang of Six shouted outrage about Maurice Jones’ behavior?” asked Schatzman, referring to the six Democrats who signed the letter calling for the board’s resignation.
Fellow board member Sincere said he was disappointed that Schatzman was not reappointed and noted how unusual it is to put the nomination of an Electoral Board member to a vote of a party committee. “In fact, this instance is the first I ever heard of it happening,” he said.
Sincere may also be under fire if he seeks the nomination from local Republicans in 2016. Charlottesville Republican chair Barbara Null was one of the letter signers, and it’s up to political parties to nominate Electoral Board members, who are then appointed by a circuit court judge. “His term is up in 2016 and we’ll be looking for candidates,” said Null, who added, “I didn’t say I wouldn’t put him on the list.”
Meanwhile, the board launched a national search for a registrar to replace Iachetta, who left office December 31 and has a January 29 court date. Schatzman said it’s likely the board will have hired a new registrar well before her term ends February 28. “I am glad that Joan is participating in this process,” said Sincere. “It’s a suitable way for her to end her tenure on the board.”
The Democrats’ choice to take Schatzman’s place: Anne Hemenway, a lawyer introduced by Commonwealth’s Attorney Dave Chapman and voted in by the special committee’s members. Her name will go to Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Rick Moore for appointment March 1.